E-letter: Briefs

Leoterra LLC, a low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications company, and Terrestar Networks Inc., a subsidiary of Motient Corp., announced Dec. 5 they will perform a joint feasibility study toward providing […]

Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. has been selected by Alef Soluciones Integrales and Corporative Lanix to provide a Skyedge VSAT network to more than 7,700 Mexican public-school classrooms, Gilat announced Dec. […]

Emerging Markets Communications (EMC) has been contracted to provide Internet protocol (IP) capacity via satellite to South Africa-based Internet Solutions, EMC announced. Internet Solutions, owned by Dimension Data, is the […]

XM Satellite Radio and General Motors (GM) announced Dec. 5 that the automaker will build more than 1.8 million 2007 vehicles with factory-installed XM Radio. GM was the first automaker […]

Alcatel Alenia Space signed a contract to design, manufacture and deliver Globalstar Inc.’s second-generation constellation of 48 satellites, the companies announced Dec. 4. The deal is worth about 661 million […]

The Korea Aerospace Research Institute has chosen Arianespace to launch the Communication, Ocean and Meteorological Satellite-1 (COMS-1), Arianespace announced Dec. 4. COMS-1 will be placed into geostationary transfer orbit by […]

China Central Television (CCTV), the national broadcaster of the People’s Republic of China, has renewed a multiyear contract with Intelsat for global distribution of programming, Intelsat announced. Intelsat provides program […]

Two of the Middle East’s leading satellite operators, Arabsat and Nilesat, have joined forces in the Middle East to establish a media gateway. The agreement will enable Arabsat to establish […]

Norsat International Inc. has reached an agreement with Bill Coyne, the company’s former president and CEO, to settle all claims relating to a wrongful dismissal suit. Details of the settlement […]

The People’s Republic of China will launch its second geostationary orbit meteorological satellite, Fengyun-2D, Dec. 8, according to Xinhua. Described in a report citing the China Meteorological Administration, the Fengyun-2D […]

Concurrent to the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, XM Radio will offer Radio Hanukkah, a national broadcast channel devoted exclusively to Jewish culture, XM announced Dec. 4. From Dec. 15 through […]

Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co. have completed the transaction to combine their respective government launch vehicle businesses under the United Launch Alliance LLC (ULA) joint venture, the companies announced […]

Alcatel-Lucent, a global communications provider of Internet Protocol (IP) TV, broadband access, carrier IP, IMS and next-generation networks, launched operations Dec. 1 after completion of a merger between Alcatel and […]

Echostar Communications Corp. issued a Nov. 30 statement detailing its agreement with Pappas Telecasting Cos. to continue carrying 16 local TV stations owned or operated by Pappas.

Datapath Inc. has completed its acquisition of ILC, a privately held provider of network management software for monitoring, controlling and automating hybrid communications networks, Datapath announced Dec. 1. The purchase […]

EMS Technologies Inc. has completed the sale of its EMS Wireless division to Andrew Corp. for about $50 million in cash, EMS announced Dec. 1. Andrew has acquired all of […]

XM Satellite Radio announced Nov. 30 that American Honda Motor Co. will factory-install XM in more than 650,000 of its 2007 model year vehicles. Honda was an original strategic partner […]

Eutelsat Joins Forces With SES Global For Mobile Broadcasting Service SES Global and Eutelsat plan to invest $165.3 million to develop a mobile broadcasting satellite service for Europe.     The […]

A new report, "Deutschland Online 4," from Deutsche Telekom (DT) and German media professors warns that Germany "runs the risk of losing touch with the U.S. and Asian rivals when […]

Intelsat Buys Glowlink Interference Detection System Intelsat has purchased a Glowlink Model 8000 Satellite Geolocation System to monitor sources of potential interference to its satellite signals.     The spectrum monitoring […]

The Global VSAT Forum (GVF) and iDirect Technologies have entered into an agreement to produce Web-based training courses for iDirect’s VSAT terminal installations, the organizations announced Nov. 29. The courses, […]

Andrew Corp. Names VP Andrew Corp. has promoted Bill Casey to vice president, corporate marketing and communications and customer care. Prior to joining Andrew in 2005, Casey held management positions […]

Futron Corp. on Nov. 30 announced its appointment of Peggy Slye as director of its space and telecommunications division. Slye will lead the division providing market forecasts and analyses, technology […]

Ultra-DNE Announces Net-Centric Network Access Platform Ultra Electronics-DNE Technologies, a provider of tactical voice and data communication solutions, announced the release of its Packetassure product line, a new series of […]

Emcore Corp. received a multi-year order for solar cells from an unnamed satellite manufacturer, Emcore announced Nov. 28. Under the three-year, $41 million extension to an existing purchase order, Emcore’s […]

Telecommunication Systems Inc. (TCS) received a contract from an unnamed U.S. government agency to supply a secure satellite communications network, the company announced Nov. 29. TCS will provide its Swiftlink […]

Uplit and Cox Communications renewed a two-year agreement to provide satellite uplink services for Cox Sports Television (CST), according to a Nov. 29 statement. Since 2002, Uplit has transmitted CST […]

To assist Dish Network customers losing their distant network channels, DirecTV on Nov. 29 launched a nationwide offer to provide those customers with $150 cash back. The offer also includes: […]

A substitute satellite for the failed Sinosat-2, planned to be China’s first direct-to-home broadcasting satellite, will take at least three years to develop, according to a Sinosat spokesman quoted by […]

Alcatel announced Nov. 28 the successful demonstration of Europe’s first broadcast of live TV channels on mobile handsets in S-band. Using the new satellite services for handhelds (DVB-SH) standard currently […]