E-letter: News Feed

Alcatel won a key contract with the European Commission (EC) to be prime contractor of an ambitious R&D project that could provide such organizations as police forces, firefighters and utilities […]

While its contributions to satellites may not garner the media attention that some of the bigger companies get, Blacksburg, Va.-based VPT Inc. still has something to offer in terms of […]

With a technology foundation firmly laid in providing broadband services to train riders in Europe, RaySat has turned to the U.S. marketplace with a different target in mind: the growing […]

File this item in the “what are they thinking?” category. XM Satellite Radio [XMSR] last week announced it added two new music channels that will appear exclusively on its XM […]

Satellite News has learned that China plans to launch a television broadcasting satellite in the first half of 2006. According to reports, the satellite will provide broadcasting services to that […]

Rainbow Media Enterprises, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corp. [CVC], said its year-old Voom satellite service will nearly double its capacity March 2005, and it will increase its current offering […]

While this is not about the future launch of a space-based asset, Satellite News has been keeping a close eye on the developments of what are being called “stratellites,” because […]

With private-equity (PE) firms investing heavily in such satellite operators as PanAmSat, New Skies Satellites and Intelsat, capital expenditures for ordering new satellites could be cut industry-wide. If capex plans […]

New Canaan, Conn.-based Near Earth LLC, a boutique investment bank that focuses on satellite-related industries, formed an advisory board that boasts an impressive array of prominent people from the industry. […]

Washington, D.C.-based XM Satellite Radio [XMSR], a U.S. satellite radio service with more than 2.5 million subscribers, is trying to keep its competitive advantage in new audio technology with a […]

The recent maiden flight of an improved Soyuz rocket was an important step in bringing Russia’s workhorse vehicle into Arianespace’s family of commercial launch vehicles. The mission is a step […]

Telecom giant SBC Communications [SBC] announced bold investment plans Thursday that will have an impact on satellite-TV and cable-TV operators in the regional telephone company’s service area. SBC unveiled plans […]

Bundled services are here to stay. Cable operators that have gone digital can offer multichannel video, Internet and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services. To compete, satellite TV services are […]

The prospective sale of Germantown, Md.-based Hughes Net-work Systems (HNS) to private-equity firm Apollo Management appears to be moving toward announcement. Satellite News has written about the potential deal but […]

El Segundo, Calif.-based DirecTV Inc., the largest satellite TV service in the United States, concluded that it could at least break even on the five-year, $3.5 billion agreement with the […]

It is rare for the powerful National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) to lose an important Washington battle. As a result, the NAB’s decision to abruptly drop attempts to convince regulators […]

The ever-growing need to track assets for safety and security reasons has led the Copenhagen Airport in Denmark to upgrade the Global Positioning System (GPS) technology it uses. Copenhagen Airport […]

Oslo, Norway-based Telenor Satellite Services already is in the giving spirit with its plans to offer cut-rate phone calls to the crew of its sea-based clients during the upcoming holiday […]

By Ramin Khadem Apax Partners and Permira, arguably two of the most respected private equity firms in Europe, started a minor revolution with their purchase of a controlling stake in […]

As Europe gears up for a greater High-Definition Television (HDTV) future, consumer-electronics manufacturers are gearing up to provide the next generation of digital equipment in consumers’ homes. In particularly, HDTV […]

TV Cabo, the leading pay-TV provider in Portugal, is closing in on 400,000 Direct-to-Home (DTH) subscribers in that country. The operator reported 378,000 DTH subscribers at the end of the […]

U.K. telco BT is claiming a technology breakthrough in the satellite industry, which could have some serious ramifications for satellite operators. It has developed a satellite modulation technology it claims […]

Washington, D.C.-based XM Satellite Radio [XMSR], the largest provider of satellite radio in the United States with more than 2.5 million subscribers, gained a boost from consumer audio products manufacturer […]

The deals between satellite-TV service providers and telephone companies just keep coming. It seems to be a natural alliance to beat back the threat of cable TV operators that offer […]

RADARSAT-1, a Canadian Earth observation satellite, is completing its ninth year of operation, and it is close to doubling its five-year design life. The spacecraft has delivered precision images and […]

The Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Space Foundation is making meaningful personnel changes. It named a new vice president and four new directors to fill newly created and expanded positions. Jim Banke […]

Washington, D.C.-based XM Satellite Radio [XMSR] achieved better than expected third quarter results. XM was able to hold its operating costs in check, unlike its New York City-based rival Sirius […]

Cyprus-based Columbia Shipman-agement is fitting more than 100 ships with Iridium satellite terminals in a move to comply with SSAS carriage requirements and to reduce ship communication costs. The decision […]

Concerns by pessimists that the brisk subscriber growth of U.S. satellite television services is ready to start conking out are contradicted by the continuing surge in sales. Indeed, DirecTV showed […]

National Geographic an-nounced Friday that cutting-edge satellites and telescopes will enable contact to be made with extraterrestrial life sooner than many people expect. A television program detailing this prediction will […]