Every communications satellite is tested, retested and tested again while on the ground. The reason is obvious: you cannot send a technician into orbit to correct a defect. But OneWeb, which is looking to launch about 650 satellites into orbit over the next few years, is looking to adopt an even more rigorous testing regime […]
Nepal is looking to order its own communications satellite. More than two years ago it made a ‘Request for Proposals’ from the world’s leading satellite builders, and now has committed to French prime contractor Thales Alenia Space. Reportedly there’s no cash on the table just yet, but a Letter of Intent, signed in Paris on […]
The potential freeing of C-band spectrum by Intelsat and SES over the US for use by 5G has been well covered in recent times. With a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) probably only weeks away, the temperature is rising amongst supporters and objectors. Some Capital Hill lawmakers are advocating the introduction of a special ‘windfall’ tax […]
Newtec, a specialist in equipment for satellite communications, has successfully deployed two Newtec Dialog hubs in the UK and Finland for Middle East satellite operator Arabsat to enable the company to deliver High Throughput Satellite (HTS) services into the Middle East and African markets. “Both our teams worked tirelessly and collaborated with goodwill and professionalism […]
The C-Band Alliance’s (CBA) plans for the sale of 180 MHz of satellite spectrum over the US is creating turbulence for the two main players, Intelsat and SES. Both have seen their share prices suffer significant fluctuations this past fortnight. The reason is that investors are concerned that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) might rule […]
Investment bank Morgan Stanley has issued a strongly supportive note on Intelsat’s (and by implication SES) prospects for the restructuring of 200 MHz of C-band spectrum over the US. The bank says that even though there is still much which could derail the proposals, it nevertheless believes that “the C-Band plan is likely the only […]
Es’hailSat, the Qatar Satellite Company, has announced that its recently launched satellite, Es’hail-2, has entered commercial service to serve government, broadcast and telecommunications sectors in Middle East and North Africa. Es’hail-2, designed with Ka-band spot beams and Ku-band wide beams, joins Es’hail-1 at 25.5⁰E / 26.0°E MENA broadcast hotspot and will augment the capacity already […]
Unofficially SES is trying to calm investor expectations on the extremely important prospects for some C-band restructuring over the US. The logic is sensible given that a negative Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decision will probably not do its share price a lot of good. On March 5th, SES shares tumbled a worrying 9.16 per cent […]
The UK space industry is worth some €12 billion annually, and helps fund 40,000 jobs, according to a report entitled Brexit: Lost in Space,which states bluntly that these jobs are at risk if Brexit happens. “Post Brexit, no CEO would locate a space company [in the UK]. It’s galactic scale stupidity,” says author Will Marshall. […]
Eutelsat has held a series of ‘road show’ presentations to US-based analysts, and an investment bank report says that while no new financial information emerged, Eutelsat’s management say that they expect the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to make a “favourable” decision regarding the reallocation of some C-band frequencies over the US. Eutelsat itself would only […]