A study from Paris-based Euroconsult says there is a significant expansion underway in the ‘smallsat’ market, both in terms of demand and systems’ capabilities. About 7,000 smallsats are due to be launched over the next ten years, i.e. a six-fold increase from the 1,200 units launched over the past decade. About 50 constellations, two of […]
In Flight Entertainment (IFE) business Gogo says it has a near-$1 billion of contracts waiting to be fulfilled, and which stretch over the next 10 years. The contracts cover installations into existing aircraft or new planes as they leave the factory, and service revenues. Other work ongoing is the installation of new de-icing transmission radomes […]
London-based Inmarsat has won approval from Belgium’s radio-communications regulator (BIPT) to install ground repeaters for its European Aviation Network (EAN), and providing crucial links for passengers and users of its in-flight broadband connectivity. France, Germany and the UK have already given permission for the repeater stations but Inmarsat needs about 300 of these ‘Complementary Ground […]
In-Flight Entertainment supplier Global Eagle Entertainment (GEE) continues to expand its European presence, saying that it is now adding installations on LOT Polish Airlines, and during Q2 it completed installs on Norwegian’s 737 fleet. “Norwegian offers free WiFi and has one of the highest Wi-Fi Web browsing take rates of any airline globally,” GEE’s CEO […]
EchoStar chairman Charlie Ergen seemed to bear no ill-will towards his takeover target Inmarsat in his comments made during the company’s Q2 results presentation. However, he told analysts that “scale matters” and that just about every satellite operator was “sub-scale” and explained that almost all the satellite players were suffering video markets which have been […]
Elon Musk’s SpaceX managed a textbook launch of Telkom Indonesia’s Merah Putih (Red & White) satellite in the early hours (01.18 am EDT) of August 7th from Cape Canaveral. The launch was the 15th this year for SpaceX. The launch used – or re-used – a Falcon 9 Block 5 ‘flight tested’ rocket which had […]
A major 37-page report from equity analysts at investment bank Jefferies says the proposed restructuring of scarce satellite C-band frequencies over the US in order to help drive adoption of 5G cellular telephony, could result in a $10 billion cash windfall “at least” for the two main proponents of the scheme, SES and Intelsat. The […]
Inflight Wi-Fi is a key driver in forming customer loyalty and satisfaction among today’s airline passengers, according to Inmarsat’s fourth annual global Inflight Connectivity Survey, the industry’s largest poll of passenger attitudes published in association with market research company Populus. Wi-Fi is already an essential part of everyday life on the ground with more than […]
Ottawa-based Telesat says it will participate in any upcoming C-Band reorganisation of capacity over the USA. CEO Dan Goldberg told analysts: “We’ll participate in the proceeding. We’re not at this point in time aligned with SES and Intelsat and Eutelsat on their position there. We’re sympathetic to the direction that the FCC is heading. We […]
Rodolph Belmer, CEO at Eutelsat, in an interview with French financial daily Les Echos, says that he does not see the threat from OTT players putting significant pressures on its customer base. He adds that for every hour of OTT viewing, TV consumption only declines by 10 minutes. Moreover, while broadcasters will inevitably attempt to […]