Advanced Television

Inside Satellite

Chris Forrester

Chris Forrester is one of the most experienced and highly regarded journalists in the field. His insight and analysis, particularly in the satellite and pay-TV arena, is highly prized. He has written for all the major business journals in the sector as well as several national newspapers.

Eutelsat criticised over “Kremlin links”

There is, in reality, no links with the Kremlin for Paris-based satellite operator Eutelsat, but that didn’t stop one shareholder using last week’s AGM at Eutelsat to complain about the operator broadcasting Russian channels. The cause for the complaint are channels which are carried as part of – for example – Eutelsat’s popular 36 degrees […]

November 27, 2024

Rivada Space “still working” with Terran Orbital

Rivada Space Networks is still working with key supplier Terran Orbital (now owned by Lockheed Martin) according to the company. Rivada says that its launch orders with SpaceX, while not set in terms of specific final launch dates, are still valid and in place. Rivada has an initial 300 satellite contract with Terran Orbital although […]

November 26, 2024

D2D: Power levels concerns

The new Donald Trump administration, and a new chair at the FCC (Brendon Carr), is increasingly expected to permit operators such as Starlink and AST SpaceMobile to begin transmitting and receiving calls direct-to-devices and including consumer smartphones. As Armand Musey (partner at consultancy Summit Ridge Group) suggested during the recent 13th Americas Spectrum Management Conference […]

November 25, 2024

Terran Orbital hit with Class Action

Boca Raton-based satellite builder Terran Orbital, now owned by Lockheed Martin, is facing a Class Action from investors alleging they were misled as the company’s status before the sale. Investors allege that Lockheed originally offered $1 per share for Terran, the final deal price was struck at 25 cents and shareholders are now suing Terran […]

November 22, 2024

Thales Alenia planning to stay solo

Thales Alenia Space (TAS), much rumoured to be considering merging itself with rivals Airbus Defence & Space, has very publicly stated that it can live quite happily without a merger. At a presentation on November 14th made by CEO Hervé Derrey he explained how he saw 2025 – and beyond – panning out. He said […]

November 21, 2024

Ligado can sue US Government for $39bn

Ligado Networks can proceed with their claim for $39 billion (€36.9bn) in damages and compensation from the US government for what it claims – in essence – is the theft of its L-band spectrum. A US federal judge on November 18th rejected some of Ligado’s minor arguments but has allowed the major portion of the […]

November 20, 2024

Bank: AST SpaceMobile could revolutionise phone usage

An update from AST SpaceMobile (AST) on November 14th supplied many hard facts as to the satellite operator’s plans. New satellite launches, added to the five already in orbit, will potentially eliminate the planet’s ‘dead spots’ for cellular users. Subsequently, a major bank report has endorsed AST’s prospects as the world’s first global cellular network. […]

November 18, 2024

AST SpaceMobile orders Bezos rockets

AST SpaceMobile (AST) has contracted with Jeff Bezos-backed rocket company Blue Origin, as well as SpaceX, to get its satellites into orbit. Blue Origin will handle up to 45 satellites with options for a further 15. Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket can handle 8 satellites per launch. SpaceX, which with its Starlink broadband system, is […]

November 15, 2024

UAE contemplating LEO constellation

The world already has a pair of successful low Earth orbiting (LEO) mega-constellations in the form of SpaceX’s Starlink and the Eutelsat/OneWeb fleet. Also on the near-horizon is the Jeff Bezos-backed Amazon Kuiper, Telesat of Canada’s Lightspeed, and direct-to-cellular satellite operations from Globalstar/Apple, AST SpaceMobile Iridium and Lynk. Now it seems the United Arab Emirates […]

November 14, 2024

SpaceX Starship to fly 25 launches in 2025

SpaceX’s giant 400 ft tall Starship will make a sixth test flight on November 19th, subject to the usual weather and last-minute technical checks. The fifth flight saw the ‘super heavy’ booster stage captured by a pair of ‘chopsticks’ upon its return to Earth at Elon Musk’s Starbase. The next Starship flight test aims to […]

November 13, 2024