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Satellite Deals of The Day

By Staff Writer | October 26, 2004
      • Australian telco Optus signed a key deal with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) to manage satellite communication links from Canberra to Australian embassies and high commissions throughout the world. Optus will provide telecom access to 48 sites in 47 countries during the next three years. Warren Hardy, managing director of Optus Wholesale, commented, “Optus will improve satellite telecommunication links to Australian personnel in diplomatic posts around the world at a cost-effective price.”
      • Germantown, Md.-based Hughes Network Systems (HNS), a provider of global broadband satellite services under the DirecWay brand, agreed to supply JSC SatLine, a new Ukrainian satellite-services company, with a Network Operations Center (NOC) and remote broadband terminals. JSC SatLine will provide broadband satellite services to such Ukrainian customers as banks, government agencies, local ISPs and commercial enterprises. According to HNS, its DW6040 voice appliance will offer low-cost VoIP service, while the HNS DW6030 serial appliance would provide high-speed, two-way data transmission services and Internet/intranet access. JSC SatLine’s first customer is Nadra Bank, which is implementing an enterprise communication system to connect all of its offices and branches throughout Ukraine.
      • SpaceDev [SPDV] won a second task order on its existing $43 million contract with the Missile Defense Agency to design and develop as many as six responsive, affordable, high-performance, networked micro-satellites to support national missile defense. The second task order is valued at about $8.3 million.
      • The International Broadcasting Bureau gave its Government Services Group contracts to GlobeCast to provide full-time satellite services delivering “Voice of America” television and radio programming to Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East. GlobeCast will provide the IBB with full-time use of a transponder on the NSS-703 satellite as well as capacity on the Intelsat IS-907 bird. The values of the contracts were not disclosed.
      • Mainstream Data Inc. entered into a multi-year agreement with DMX Music Inc. to distribute several of DMX’s satellite-based digital audio services in North America. Under the terms of the agreement, Mainstream Data will provide the equipment, transmission services and advanced network monitoring to DMX for the distribution of 12 digital audio satellite channels. Financial terms were not disclosed.