-
Uncategorized
Motient Corp. Gets New Investment For Its Satellite Business
Motient Corp. [MTNT], formerly American Mobile Satellite Corp., has formed a new subsidiary, Motient Satellite Ventures LLC, and announced a $50 million investment from an investment group consisting of Columbia […]
-
Uncategorized
Satellite Broadband Equipment Manufacturers Still Waiting For Market Ramp Up
While the insiders of the satellite industry talk the talk about the power of broadband services via satellite, equipment manufactures remain in a holding pattern. “The satellite broadband end user […]
-
Uncategorized
Orbital Woes Continue As Orbcomm Deals With Cash Shortage
Orbital Sciences Corp. [ORB] can’t seem to catch a break. For years, the company struggled to solve a variety of accounting issues. Now, with those issues in the past, problems […]
-
Uncategorized
Secured Financing, Successful Launch Mark Good Week For DARS
It was a good week for the two competing digial audio radio service (DARS) providers. Sirius Satellite Radio’s [SIRI] first satellite launch was successful and XM Satellite Radio Inc. [XMSR] […]
-
Uncategorized
ICO-Teledesic Secure $250 Million In Fincancing From A List Investors
Both ICO-Teledesic Global Ltd. and Globalstar L.P [GSTRF] both picked up $250 million of much needed funding. But the amount of money is about the only similarities between how the […]
-
Uncategorized
Dan Marcus, Ex PanAmSat V.P., Establishes Communications Firm
Daniel Marcus, formerly the vice president for corporate communications at PanAmSat Corp. [SPOT], has established his own marketing and communications firm, Marcus Associates LLC, in Westport, Conn. He said the […]
-
Uncategorized
Telia Mobile Prepares To Extend Globalstar Service To Sweden
Telia Mobile, the cellular carrier subsidiary of Sweden’s largest telecommunications company, has signed an agreement with Globalstar Northern Europe Ltd. that will extend Globalstar’s satellite-based telephone service throughout Sweden. Subscribers […]
-
Uncategorized
Globalstar Picks Up An Additional $250 Million
Shrewd Financing Move Provides Cash Until Next Spring It looks like Globalstar L.P. [GSTRF] will be in business until at least the first quarter of next year. In a move […]
-
Uncategorized
VIASAT WILL LAUNCH BALTIC SERVICE
Scandinavian Pay-TV operator Viasat is taking additional capacity on NSAB’s Sirius at 5 degrees East to simultaneously launch a digital TV platform in the Baltic region alongside the already announced […]
-
Uncategorized
THE DRIP, DRIP SKY ANALOGUE SHUTDOWN
Despite official announcements that BSkyB will not shutdown its analogue service until 2001 it is now clear that Sky is well underway in a gradual switch-off. The latest announcement is […]
-
Uncategorized
SES WINS FIRST KA-BAND CONTRACT
SES-Astra has signed up Kokua Communications as its first European Ka-Band return path client. SES says there are other major announcements pending. The deal calls for Kokua to use capacity […]
-
Uncategorized
TROUBLE AHEAD FOR NTV+
NTV-Plus, Russia’s DTH satellite pay-TV system, has begun transmitting from Eutelsat’s W4 satellite at 36 degrees East. A total of 19 transponders on W4 are switched into a high-power fixed […]
-
Uncategorized
GATES CALLS ON ICO
Microsoft founder Bill Gates is one of a group of private investors involved in a $1 billion refinancing of London-based ICI, the bankrupt LEO outfit that was taken under the […]
-
Uncategorized
WIZJA FACES MERGER FALLOUT
A Geneva court has ruled that @Entertainment, the former owner of the Wizja TV digital satellite platform should pay a $10 million indemnity to Cyfra+ the Canal+ Polish affiliate. Two […]
-
Uncategorized
NEW HISPASAT SATELLITE IN 2002
Hispasat’s Board of Directors has approved the construction of a new satellite, Hispasat 1D which will be built by Alcatel Space Industries, and launched by International Launch Services in the […]
-
Uncategorized
PREMIERE WORLD REDUCES SPORTS SUBSCRIPTION FEE
In a move that observers are describing as an “almost desperate final attempt to win subscribers”, German media company Kirch-Group has decided to reduce the subscription fee sports fans have […]
-
Uncategorized
TVB HITS BACK AT HK MONOPOLY CHARGE
Galaxy Satellite Broadcasting has responded to charges from Hong Kong’s Wharf Cable that the TVB-owned company has a monopoly on the pay-TV market. General manager Stanley Tang See-tin told the […]
-
Uncategorized
TELENOR FREQUENCY REVAMP
Telenor is to introduce its long awaited reshuffle of frequencies at its One degree West slot on September 5, 2000. The change will make way for new channels and services, […]
-
Uncategorized
KIRCH REACHES HIS GOAL
After 44 years in the media business, Leo Kirch has finally managed to make his long term dream come true: becoming the biggest player in Germany’s competitive free-to-air television market. […]
-
Uncategorized
TRANSPONDER MONITOR
Interspace’s in-depth study of European satellite activity, compiled by Mike Fallon Key: D – Digital A – Analogue 83 degreesE: Insat-2E D – Doordarshan’s DD1 General Hindi service is available […]
-
Uncategorized
KINGSTON TLI GOES TO BOLLYWOOD
UK teleport operator Kingston TLI has won the contract to beam the B4U movie channel to the Middle East. B4U stands for Bollywood For You; Bollywood is the popular name […]
-
Uncategorized
SAT 1, PRO SIEBEN, KABEL 1 SHUFFLE MANAGING DIRECTORS
German general interest channels Sat 1, Pro 7 and Kabel 1 will get new managing directors after the planned unification of Sat 1 and Pro Sieben Media. According to a […]
-
Uncategorized
GLOBALSTAR DEFAULTS
Financially troubled Globalstar took the unusual step of deliberately defaulting on a $250 million bank credit line to get an additional six months of cash for its faltering satellite phone […]
-
Uncategorized
NEWS BYTES…
German news channel n-tv majority owned by CNN/Time Warner, announced improved financial figures at a press conference in Berlin. According to managing director Kenneth Jautz, 2000 marks a business year […]
-
Uncategorized
Regulatory Review: European Union Reforms the Rules
By Gerry Oberst This column noted in January that the European Union (EU) is in the midst of reviewing and restructuring its entire telecommunications regulatory structure, in the so-called “1999 […]
-
Uncategorized
Financial Checkup: Satellite Companies Maintain a Strong Pulse
By Theresa Foley By year end, the satellite industry will know whether 2000 will be remembered as the launching point for massive new satellite broadband services, or as the second […]
-
Uncategorized
Dollars And Sense: Risky Business?
By Mark Crossman and Anh Steininger During an investor meeting held in New York on May 16th, Loral informed investors and analysts of the company’s progress since the end of […]
-
Uncategorized
Holding Back Hackers: The Great Challenge for Satellite Based ISP’s
By James Careless If there’s something most satellite service providers don’t worry about it’s hackers. Small wonder, says Simon Bull, senior consultant at Comsys, the U.K.-based publisher of the annual […]
-
Uncategorized
Common Ground: Get on Up–and Away from Launch Quotas
By Clayton Mowry Rocket launches, as well as the risks they convey, are part of most satellite executives’ daily lives. Without these expendable launch vehicles (ELVs), we’d have no way […]
-
Uncategorized
Broadband Gets the Green Light
By Peter Brown Well-established VSAT hardware vendors, satellite operators and other satellite solution providers are starting to roll out a long list of new satellite-based Internet access platforms and services […]