Advanced Television

Satellite

Will Google’s Loon help or hinder?

Ottawa-based satellite operator Telesat has struck a partnership agreement with Google’s Alphabet business and in particular its ‘Loon’ division. The Loon project sees a fleet of high altitude balloons providing satellite-type links to and from the ground. Telesat clearly sees the relationship with Loon as helping in its expansion plans. The full statement from Telesat […]

February 5, 2019

Goonhilly & Shetland Space Centre join forces

Shetland Space Centre (SSC) and Goonhilly Earth Station have joined forces to develop rocket launch and tracking business capabilities for the burgeoning new space launch sector. The two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) committing them to collaborate on a range of projects as the UK’s space sector flourishes. Projects include working together […]

February 5, 2019

Major risk of US falling behind in 5G race

Members of the C-Band Alliance (CBA), which is looking to see 200 MHz of C-band capacity reassigned over the US for 5G adoption, have met with FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly and Erin McGrath, legal advisor to Commissioner O’Rielly. It seems that the presentation to Commissioner O’Rielly was polite, but blunt, and covered the “real and […]

February 1, 2019

OneWeb confirms pre-launch “anomaly”

Greg Wyler, OneWeb’s founder, has confirmed there is an anomaly on a rocket that was due to launch six of his Low-Earth orbiting satellites. Wyler, in a Tweet, stressed that his satellites are ready to go, but that the launch will now be “pushed out”. Experts from Russia’s Soyuz rocket business who are at the […]

February 1, 2019By Chris Forrester

“Microhole” setback for OneWeb

OneWeb founder has been justifiably Tweeting about his planned launch of the first batch of 6 Low-Earth orbiting (LEO) satellites. However, there may be an unexpected glitch, with experts from Russia’s Soyuz rocket business who are at the Arianespace launch site in Kourou, French Guiana. The Russian team are responsible for the ‘Fregat’ upper stage […]

January 31, 2019By Chris Forrester

Inmarsat wins Garuda in-flight entertainment

London-based satellite operator Inmarsat says it has won a contract from Indonesia’s Garuda airline to provide connectivity for passengers, and using Inmarsat’s GX Aviation products. The service will be fitted to 175 Garuda and Citilink aircraft. Equity analysts at investment bank Exane/BNPP suggest that at an average airtime ARPU of US$80,000 per aircraft, “this contract […]

January 31, 2019By Chris Forrester

Arianespace readies two for launch

A pair of satellites now in the final stages of preparation by Arianespace for a launch readiness review on February 4th are especially important its two clients. Subject to passing the review, launch should happen on February 5th, subject to weather conditions. The first ‘passenger’ is HellasSat-4/Saudi 1, a so-called condosat having been built by […]

January 31, 2019By Chris Forrester

New Glenn to launch Telesat LEO

Satellite operator Telesat and Blue Origin have signed a multi-launch agreement that paves the way for the powerful New Glenn rocket to play a key role in Telesat’s deployment of its global LEO satellite constellation that will deliver fibre-like broadband services anywhere on Earth. Telesat’s LEO programme will gain significant cost savings and other advantages […]

January 31, 2019

Telenor to expand 5G pilots in Norway

Telenor Group has revealed details of its expanded 5G piloting in Norway. The next generation pilot will be carried out by Telenor Norway in partnership with Ericsson and will complement the mobile operator’s existing 5G pilot in Kongsberg.  “It’s important for Telenor to continuously expand our knowledge and experience through actively testing the 5G technology […]

January 29, 2019

Satellite sector bemoans EU’s “digital divide” structure

A European Space Policy conference, organised by Business Bridge Europe, created something of a stir last week when the European Digital Economy Commissioner Mariya Gabriel said the commission was fully backing the deployment and use of high-throughput satellites for the remotest regions of Europe in order to fill the much criticised broadband digital divide. However, […]

January 28, 2019By Chris Forrester