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.
Fitch Ratings has taken another look at Eutelsat’s prospects and downgraded the satellite operator to ‘BB-‘ and with an ‘Outlook Negative’ view because of its “OneWeb challenges”, its higher execution risks, and competition for OneWeb from other LEO constellations. Fitch expects Eutelsat to have to borrow more cash to fund the OneWeb expansion plan. Fitch’s […]
SpaceX now has a mega-constellation of some 5,400 Starlink satellites in orbit. Some of these are its Version 2 craft with sophisticated laser links and extremely rapid inter-satellite links. The 9,000+ installed laser links amount to a massive throughput for the fleet which Starlink says is 42 PetaBytes (PB) per day or 1260 PB/month. There […]
The long-running dispute between SES and Intelsat over how the FCC’s C-band payments have been allocated has prompted SES to ask Intelsat’s Bankruptcy Court to hold a hearing in April. The hearing, if granted, will be heard and mediated by Judge Mark Colombell in Virginia. “SES believes that a hearing would be beneficial to address […]
Such is the market’s enthusiasm for AST SpaceMobile’s prospects that the company’s financial underwriters have successfully placed another 4.83 million shares and, after fees and expenses, the net proceeds will be $14.1 million (€13m). Texas-based AST is proposing a global satellite ‘direct-to-smartphone’ service to commence within the next year or so. Last week it received […]
Eutelsat was hammered on the Paris stock exchange in early trading on January 29th, instantly falling 15 per cent as the Bourse opened. Eutelsat had issued a trading update and the news, as far as OneWeb was concerned, was not good. Eutelsat had owned OneWeb for just four trading months which had enabled a “deep […]
Ligado Networks has been arguing for $40 billion (€36.9bn) of compensation from various US Federal Agencies over claims that the Agencies “roadblocked” Legado’s L-band frequencies and spectrum because the US government wanted the spectrum itself. The case is best described as “complicated” and centres on the FCC’s granting to Ligado in 2020 to create a […]
Josef Aschbacher, director general of the European Space Agency (ESA), speaking at the European Space Conference held in Brussels, has urged European space-related industries to be bolder. He wants to set up a ‘Strategy 2040’ programme, and has agreement from the EU. “Europe has to be bold, or else we will always remain a 2nd […]
EchoStar-owned broadband-by-satellite service HughesNet has reportedly lost more than 30 per cent of its subscribers over the past three years with Starlink seemingly picking up the cancellations. Some of the comments suggest that for HughesNet subscribers “in a deep valley with limited potential visibility of Starlink” they will have to stay with HughesNet. Other HughesNet […]
The fallout from the collapsed merger between Zee Entertainment and Sony’s India broadcasting activities continues. Zee’s share price has collapsed (down 26 per cent on January 23rd) and most local analysts suggest that Zee will be under increased financial and shareholder pressure and probable litigation. At least six Indian brokerages also said investors should sell […]
There are currently two Spaceports being built in northern Scotland and seeking rocket launch business. The two (Sutherland Spaceport on the A’Mhoine peninsula and SaxaVord Spaceport on Unst, Shetland) could be one too many says a senior figure at SaxaVord. Scott Hammond, deputy CEO and operations director of SaxaVord Spaceport, told a Scottish parliamentary committee […]
Survey: Black viewers pay more attention to culturally relevant ads
Sinclair updates on Scripps merger proposal
Openreach ramps up digital upgrade
Starlink undercuts BT
Apple TV on Air France flights
De Ranitz appointed Chair of the Board of Directors of NPO
Sky News reinvents News at Ten with The Wrap
HBO Max, A24 renew US Pay-1 output and library deal
Zayo Europe expands network across Iberian Peninsula
Volvo Cars expands Sky sponsorship deal