Advanced Television

SES

SES seeks payment from GEE

Global Eagle Entertainment (GEE), a major supplier of in-flight entertainment and broadband connectivity to aircraft, is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy reconstruction. It entered bankruptcy on July 22nd 2020 and has subsequently struck an agreement with a number of new investors whereby a consortium will acquire almost all of GEE for $675 million. The buying consortium […]

January 22, 2021

SES extends Canada’s Nunavut coverage

SES Networks has won a contract to supply new satellite capacity to the north of Canada and its scattered population of Nunavut residents. Working in partnership with SSi Canada, SES says it will secure a significant increase in its satellite capacity, enhancing SSi’s ability to better serve consumers, students, government entities and businesses in Nunavut […]

January 19, 2021By Chris Forrester

EC to examine European LEO system

European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, says that he wants to propose his concept of a European satellite-based broadband network to the Commission this year. First priority would be to use a European Low Earth orbiting (LEO) public/private enterprise system and use it as a ‘gap filler’ for locations with non or low […]

January 14, 2021By Chris Forrester

Bank: European satellite-based video eroding

Satellite operator’s video-based revenues are under pressure as broadcasters continue to go digital. The trend has generated comment from investment bank Exane/BNPP on January 13th, and which said it expected that video revenues would continue to deteriorate during 2021 for SES and Eutelsat. “In 2019 & 2020, Eutelsat had been able to report better quarterly […]

January 14, 2021By Chris Forrester

EU satellite operators back LEO scheme

Currently neither SES, Eutelsat nor Hispasat, Europe’s three major satellite operators, have backed low Earth orbiting (LEO) systems with consumer facing broadband services. But the three say they are prepared to co-invest in the European Commission’s suggestion for an EU-wide LEO system. The European Commission is backing the concept of a dedicated LEO system for […]

January 13, 2021By Chris Forrester

Bank downbeat on SES, upbeat on Eutelsat

Investment bank Berenberg, in its previews of media stocks for 2021, is downbeat on satellite operator SES. It is maintaining its ‘SELL’ advice to clients and gives a guide price for SES shares of just €6.80 per share. The bank downgraded SES last year and says it remains of the view that consensus forecasts will […]

January 13, 2021

SES vs Intelsat dispute drags in Telesat

SES, which is suing Intelsat with a $1.8 billion claim and due to go to trial in June, is looking to bring testimony from Ottawa-based Telesat into the dispute. At the heart of the legal dispute between SES and Intelsat is an argument over Intelsat’s handling of an alleged 50/50 agreed division within the C-Band […]

January 11, 2021

More FCC auction cash for satellite operators?

The demand for the FCC’s allocation of new spectrum in its current Auction 107 has been staggering. The bids and the auction have resulted in the highest-ever payments being made for spectrum. More than $80 billion has already been tabled in gross payments, and the process fully enabled by the satellite industry freeing up their […]

January 8, 2021

C-band auction tops $66bn

The FCC‘s auction (Auction 107) of C-band spectrum has reached $66.4 billion (€73.1bn) in its latest round after two weeks of bidding. This easily exceeds the former record of $45 billion raised during the AWS-3 auction held in 2015. Some reports suggest that the enthusiasm for spectrum from bidders could see extra ‘incentive’ cash going […]

December 23, 2020By Chris Forrester

EC LEO plan gets support from satcos

The European Commission (EC) is looking to build a global Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) broadband-by-satellite system to help bridge – and solve – the digital divide in connectivity. The European Commission has selected a consortium of European satellite manufacturers, operators and service providers, telco operators and launch service providers to study the design, development and […]

December 23, 2020By Chris Forrester