E-letter: Briefs

Following the launch of its first four satellites O3b Networks announced a major long-term capacity deal to provide high-speed, low-latency capacity to RCS-Communication, an Internet service provider in South Sudan.

Israel-based RRsat Global Communications Network, a provider of digital content management and global distribution services to the television and radio broadcasting industry, has signed a long-term agreement with Fox International Channels (FIC), 21st Century Fox’s international multi-media business.

Only Latin America, Middle East, and Africa will see a mobile Internet service revenue double-digit CAGR between 2013 and 2018, according to a recently released written statement from ABI Research.

Quicklink Video Distribution Services has announced a Ka Network enhancement to its BT Tower in London.

SES Broadband Services signed a new deal with pan-European satellite broadband Internet Service Provider (ISP) EuropaSat. Also, SES signed a comprehensive collaboration agreement with Space Systems International Monaco S.A.M. (SSI-Monaco).

ST Engineering, the Singapore based company, has released an update on its satellite and communications business in the second quarter.

The International Telecommunication Union-Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) has recently reached a new worldwide agreement BT.2020 on the technical parameters of Ultra High Definition (UHDTV) television

Astro Malaysia Holdings plans to use transponder capacity on the Measat 3c (M3c) satellite for a fee of $500 million Malaysian Ringgit ($156.9 million) over a period of 15 years from its commencement date.

Indonesian satellite TV provider PT. Global Comm Nusantara (GCN) has selected Viaccess-Orca's Smartcard Conditional Access System (CAS) to support an upcoming interactive satellite-based DTH service called neotv.

Hughes Network Systems conducted a seminar last week in Mexico where more than 100 senior-level satellite industry executives including operators, service providers and government officials discussed the latest technology developments in the business.

Advantech Wireless has successfully deployed the DVB-RCS Discovery 300 Hub system delivered under contract to OJSC Gazprom Space Systems (GSS) for a network based on Yamal 201 satellite’s resources.

Planetary Resources, the asteroid mining company, successfully completed its crowd funding campaign yesterday to launch ARKYD in 2015

DISH announced “TV Flies Free,” marking the first time TV entertainment is free for passengers aboard Southwest Airlines

Eutelsat Communications announced the extension of agreements with the Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) for capacity on future RSCC satellites designed to serve Russia's market for digital broadcasting and broadband services

Northrop Grumman conducted the Enhanced Polar System (EPS) Control and Planning Segment (CAPS) preliminary design review and software requirements and architecture review

ATK Wins Contract to Support DARPA SeeMe Program The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded a contract to ATK to support the agency’s Space Enabled Effects for […]

Newtec Makes Asia Appointment Newtec has appointed Mario Querner as its new vice president of Asia. Prior to joining Newtec, Querner worked as Head for South-East Asia at ECI Telecom, […]

SpeedCast Announces Buyout of Pactel International SpeedCast has boosted its position in Asia by acquiring Pactel International, a satellite communications service provider based in Australia. Pactel provides satellite communications solutions […]

Gilat Wins Israeli Military Deal The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has selected Gilat Satellite Networks’ SatTrooper-1000 military Manpack terminal for advanced tactical field communications. The SatTrooper-1000 will provide Israeli soldiers […]

SES, Inverto, Abilis and MaxLinear Partner to Develop IP-LNB for Satellite TV Home Distribution SES, Inverto, Abilis and MaxLinear have been jointly designing the first low-noise block down-converter (LNB) that […]

Tata Sky, a direct-to-home satellite television provider in India, has selected Broadcom Corporation’s integrated system-on-a-chip (SoC) devices for set-top boxes (STB) to enable Tata Sky's first MPEG-4 standard definition (SD) STB

Gilat Satellite Networks announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Spacenet, a provider of managed network and data security services, has introduced an enhanced suite of integrated Wi-Fi services

UTC Aerospace Systems announced that the ORS 1 satellite has celebrated its second anniversary in space. ORS 1, the first Operationally Responsive Space satellite specifically designed to support combatant command operations was launched from Wallops Island Flight Facility aboard a Minotaur 1 launch vehicle on June 29, 2011

Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL) and Ghalam LLP signed a contract for the collaborative design and development of the Kazak Science and Technology satellite system

Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL) and Ghalam LLP signed a contract for the collaborative design and development of the Kazak Science and Technology satellite system

CPI International and its wholly owned subsidiary Communications & Power Industries (CPI) have acquired M C L, a manufacturer of power amplifier products and systems for the satellite communications market and a wholly owned subsidiary of MITEQ

Blue Sky Network’s HawkEye 5300 Receives Homologation Certification in Brazil Blue Sky Network, a supplier of satellite tracking and communication solutions for aviation, land and maritime, has announced that its […]

Software designed for processing satellite pictures is now helping medical researchers to establish a simple method for wide-scale screening for Alzheimer’s disease.

NASA's Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) spacecraft launched Thursday at 7:27 p.m. PDT from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The mission to study the solar atmosphere was placed in orbit by an Orbital Sciences Corporation Pegasus XL rocket.

United Launch Alliance (ULA) announced the selection of RUAG Space AG of Zurich, Switzerland as its strategic partner for Dual Launch Capability development