Between now and the end of 2023, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will pay out almost $10 billion (€8.8bn) in ‘accelerated clearance payments’. The FCC cash rewards the world’s four largest satellite operators for freeing up some of their C-band spectrum over the US. The question now is whether this windfall cash will be spent, […]
Bloomberg, in what investment bank Exane/BNPP describes as an “informal survey”, has suggested that Eutelsat and ITV are “most likely takeover” candidates. The bank suggests that ITV has been in the Bloomberg poll fairly frequently over the past ten years. Other companies named as possible takeover targets include KPN, Telecom Italia, Invit, Nokia, ProSiebenSat. 1 […]
Data from internet speedtest provider Ookla show a decline of around 100 Mb/s over the past quarter for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband by satellite system. Ookla says that during Q2 this year the median download speed for Starlink users was 97.23 Mb/s. During Q3 the median speed had dropped to 87.25 Mb/s. Ookla’s head of content, […]
London-based Inmarsat has successfully tested a demonstration payload for its Orchestra low Earth orbiting (LEO) concept. Orchestra calls for a constellation of LEO satellites which, says the company, will create a global, multi-dimensional, dynamic mesh network that will redefine connectivity at scale with the highest capacity for mobility worldwide and at hot spots across the […]
Dataxis has published its latest report on the Fixed Satellite Services (FSS) civil communications market. After years of significant growth, the decline in traditional video activity in the most developed countries is being sustained, resulting in a limited but steady decline in the turnover of FSS operators. The outlook for the future is equally becoming […]
Eutelsat’s investment in low Earth orbiting business OneWeb has won recognition from Euroconsult who have awarded the deal the ‘Strategic Transaction of the Year’. The award is a recognition of Eutelsat’s strategic move in April 2021 to take a leading stake in OneWeb alongside Bharti Global and the UK government. The transaction consolidates Eutelsat’s position […]
Quilty Analytics, in its latest quarterly ‘state of the industry’ report, quotes recognised satellite business leaders expressing their concerns on the risks to commercial space – and specifically LEO – and the launching of potentially tens of thousands of satellites. Quilty references three leading executives (Viasat’s Mark Dankberg, SES’s Steve Collar, and Steve Spengler, the […]
Inmarsat-6, built by Airbus (and the first Inmarsat to be built by Airbus) has been shipped from the Airbus facility in Toulouse to Tanegashima in Japan ready for launch. The satellite will operate in both multibeam Ka-band and L-band and will use a huge 9 metre antenna for its L-band services. It also houses an […]
The planned $7.3 billion (€6.3bn) acquisition by Viasat of Inmarsat confirms Viasat’s position as the satellite industry’s largest player in terms of revenues. But the deal could also herald a further suite of consolidations. In the words of analyst Sami Kassab, from investment bank Exane/BNPP, this transaction will help diversify Viasat’s geographic and vertical exposure, […]
Marquee TV, the specialist streaming service for arts and culture, has received £6.7 million (€7.8m) in a Series A funding round to accelerate the upgrade and global rollout of its platform. Investment from Dutch-based United Group, a provider of television and media services in Southeast Europe, and leading international media company Viasat World, will be […]