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.

Agency: “OneWeb hurts Eutelsat”

Ratings agency Moody’s has again downgraded Eutelsat, and blames its decision on the “disappointing” contribution from Eutelsat’s OneWeb constellation of satellites. The downgrade, from B2 to Ba3, cites the operational under performance in comparison with Eutelsat’s forecasts for revenues from OneWeb. The report didn’t help Eutelsat’s share price which fell 3.7 per cent on January […]

January 23, 2025

Bank: Key debates for satellite sector in 2025

Investment bank BNP Paribas, in a major study of Europe’s media and media-related activity, has also looked at the wider satellite sector. Analyst Sami Kassab said that satellite operators’ shares had a mixed performance in 2024. That comment might be seen as an understatement. “Incumbent satellite operators (Viasat, Eutelsat, SES, Iridium) have continued to see […]

January 21, 2025

US grounds Starship flights

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is not happy with last week’s problem with Elon Musk’s Starship rocket which exploded over the Turks & Caicos Islands. The FAA has grounded future flights pending a detailed explanation and examination of the flight’s data. There are numerous reports and images of pieces of the rocket, especially its heat-resistant […]

January 20, 2025

Musk loses Starship, but lands booster

SpaceX lost a Starship on its seventh test flight in a fiery explosion over the Turks & Caicos Islands in the Caribbean. However, the rocket’s booster was successfully captured back at the launch site by the Texas pad’s ‘chopsticks’. Launch was at 5.37pm Texas time on January 16th. SpaceX said: “Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled […]

January 17, 2025

Bank positive on AST SpaceMobile

Analysts at Barclays have joined a growing number of researchers favouring AST SpaceMobile (AST). A report from the bank explains to investors the background to AST’s recent agreement with Ligado Networks, and says the additional L-band spectrum acquired by AST to be meaningful. The bank says that while the agreement, permitting access by AST to […]

January 15, 2025

ITU’s hands are tied on space jamming

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is having a hard time getting some of its member states to observe its regulations. Two problems are paramount: The first is the regulation of so-called ‘space debris’ whether dying satellites or collision avoidance obligations. The second concerns the deliberate jamming of certain TV signals which includes the rules governing […]

January 13, 2025

Bezos and Musk rockets delay launches

The expected double launch of a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket as well as Elon Musk’s giant Starship, both initially expected to launch on January 10th, have been delayed. The problem is the weather which for the Jeff Bezos-backed New Glenn rocket is at least one of the problems. One report says that the Florida […]

January 10, 2025

Bank: Canal+ on a “super aggregation” strategy

A report from analysts at investment bank BNP Paribas on Canal+ says the broadcaster is now on a “super aggregation” strategy. Its share price, since its debut on the London Stock Exchange on December 16th 2024, has been in a depressed state. Currently (January 8th) its shares are trading down 4.6 per cent at £2. […]

January 9, 2025

Italy: Confusion over Starlink contract

This past weekend it was widely reported that the Italian government had chosen Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite broadband service in a massive $1.6 billion (€1.4bn) 5-year deal to equip its military with secure connectivity. The news emerged as Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni visited President-elect Donald Trump at his Florida home on January 4th. The […]

January 8, 2025

Bezos vs Musk on Jan 10th

The planned launch of the Jeff Bezos-backed Blue Origin rocket on January 6th was delayed because of poor weather at the Cape. The rocket, named New Glenn, is now slated to launch from Florida on January 10th. The plan puts it head-to-head with Elon Musk’s important Starship and its seventh flight and attempted ‘chopstick’ landing. […]

January 7, 2025