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 […]
The long-expected consolidation amongst major satellite players is happening. California-based Viasat is set to buy London-based Inmarsat for $7.3 billion (€6.3bn) in a cash and shares deal. Inmarsat was taken private in 2019 at $6 billion. Today, Viasat is paying an extra $1.3 billion as management have valued the Net Present Value of synergies at […]
Viasat’s founder and chairman Mark Dankberg, delivering his Keynote address to delegates at the 2021 Satellite Innovation event at Mountain View, California, was highly critical of US and European regulators over their action – or lack of – in terms of Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites. Viasat own a growing fleet of geostationary satellites providing […]
Geostationary satellite operator Viasat says it is now supplying Ka-band in-flight connectivity (IFC) across Brazil, which is the world’s third-largest Business Aviation market. The connectivity package includes capacity from London’s Avanti and its Hylas satellites to cover Europe and the MENA regions. In Brazil, Viasat’s says its IFC system will leverage capacity on the Company’s […]