Advanced Television

Satellite

5G connections to reach 1.4bn by 2025

A report from Juniper Research has forecast 1.4 billion 5G connections by 2025, an increase from just 1 million in 2019, the anticipated first year of commercial launch. This will represent an average annual growth of 232 per cent. Juniper’s research warned that to be successful, 5G fixed wireless broadband would need to meet expectations […]

August 14, 2017

Avanti CEO “steps down”

David Williams, the much-criticised CEO of London-based satellite operator Avanti Communications, is stepping down. The company say that Alan Harper, a board director, has moved into the position while a “comprehensive search” for a successor to Williams is sourced. Williams leaves immediately. Paul Walsh, Avanti’s chairman, in a very brief statement to the London Stock […]

August 10, 2017By Chris Forrester

Amazonas 5 arrives in Baikonur

The Amazonas 5 satellite – destined provide high-performance direct-to-home television services offering coverage over Central and South America – has arrived at the International Launch Services (ILS) launch site in Baikonur after having finalised its manufacture in the facilities at Space Systems Loral (SSL) in Palo Alto. The last series of tests will be run […]

August 10, 2017

Bezos to build new Rocket City

Blue Origin, the rocket-launching business founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, is to build its all-new BE-4 rocket engine at Cummings Research Park, at ‘Rocket City’, Huntsville in Alabama. ‘Rocket City’ is the name given to Huntsville and is already home to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center as well as the US Army’s Aviation & […]

August 8, 2017By Chris Forrester

Gilat propels Russian DTH market into broadband services

Gilat Satellite Networks, a specialist in satellite networking technology, solutions and services, has announced that NTV-Plus has selected the broadband service developed by Eutelsat Networks and powered by Gilat’s high-performance VSATs to offer high-speed Internet to DTH subscribers across the European part of the Russian Federation. Gilat’s satellite solution provides affordable high-quality broadband, leveraging multi-beam […]

August 2, 2017

Thaicom signs telecom service deal with iSAT Africa

Thaicom, one of Asia’s leading satellite operators and provider of integrated satellite communications services, has signed an agreement with iSAT, an African telecommunications provider and a subsidiary of Wananchi, to provide iSAT’s key customer in East Africa with fully managed satellite telecommunications services including satellite back-up of its fibre network. Under the agreement, Thaicom will […]

July 31, 2017

Intelsat joins anti-SpaceX satellite move

Intelsat wants US the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to block – at least for the time being – SpaceX’s plan to girdle the Earth with more than 4400 mini-satellites. Intelsat has said to the FCC that the SpaceX scheme needs more study in order to check that its satellites would not interfere with those already […]

July 24, 2017By Chris Forrester

Strong opposition for SpaceX ‘super-constellation’

Rocket company SpaceX wants to build a super-constellation of 4425 mini-satellites to girdle the planet and provide extra broadband bandwidth for billions of new, or under-served, consumers. But the company, led by billionaire Elon Musk, is hitting some powerful opposition, not least from aerospace giant Boeing, SES-backed O3b and would-be satellite rival OneWeb each of […]

July 19, 2017By Chris Forrester

Inmarsat: “Eutelsat/ViaSat complaints without merit”

A complaint has been lodged at the European Court of Justice by Eutelsat, ViaSat of California and Panasonic Aviation alleging that Inmarsat is violating is abusing its licence by passing off a terrestrial network as a satellite system.  The Inmarsat system itself will provide connectivity for passengers on aircraft and as part of Inmarsat’s European […]

July 17, 2017

Ofcom sets rules for mobile spectrum auction

Ofcom has revealed how airwaves will be released to meet the growing demand for mobile broadband, including new measures to safeguard competition. People and businesses increasingly need reliable, high-speed mobile broadband to support devices such as smartphones and tablets. Ofcom is helping to meet this demand by releasing extra spectrum, allowing mobile operators to increase […]

July 11, 2017