Findings from analysis firm Leichtman Research Group indicate that the largest pay-TV providers in the US – representing about 95 per cent of the market – lost about 415,000 net video subscribers in Q2 2018, compared to a pro forma loss of about 660,000 subscribers in Q2 2017, lower than in any second quarter since […]
India’s Space Research Organisation (ISRO) confirmed its was anxious about a potential solar panel problem on a satellite it urgently recalled from Arianespace’s launch facility at French Guiana. It GSAT-11 craft was recalled in April. Dr K Sivan, ISRO’s chairman, justified ISRO’s “unprecedented” decision to recall the satellite, saying that an expert committee had decided […]
Eutelsat is selling its portion of a joint-venture satellite operating over the Middle East. Eutelsat 28B, which was co-owned by Qatar’s Es’hailSat, will now be wholly-owned by the Qataris who will gain the revenue from an additional 15 transponders operated by Eutelsat. Paris-based Eutelsat says that the satellite earned revenues of about €16 million in […]
Intelsat’s latest satellite, Horizons 3e has safely arrived in French Guiana for preparation ahead of a launch next month. Intelsat says that weather permitting the giant satellite should launch on September 7th on an Arianespace 5 rocket. Horizons 3e is owned by a joint venture between Intelsat and SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation, marking the fourth […]
Intelsat has announced that C-SPAN, the Washington D.C. based suite of public affairs networks, has signed a new, long-term contract for C-band satellite services on Intelsat’s Galaxy 14 satellite. Galaxy 14 distributes more than 200 channels in North America, with over 100 channels in HD. Intelsat will transport the signals from C-SPAN’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. […]
The apparent enthusiasm for the re-use of satellite’s C-band frequencies over the US, and the accompanying optimism for the balance sheets of the operators, has driven stock prices upward. The best mover is clearly Intelsat. Monday Aug 7th saw its share price jump 4.3 percent and took the price to $24.31. Not bad, considering that […]
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 […]
Abu Dhabi-based satellite operator Yahlive just added a new Farsi-language channel, Persiana TV, to its bouquet from 52.5 degrees East. Yahlive is a joint-venture between Yahsat and Luxembourg-based SES. Turkey-based Persiana TV transmits reality shows, lifestyle, travel and other general entertainment and means that Yahlive is now broadcasting 107 exclusive free-to-air Farsi channels out of […]