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Issue #35 - October 4-10, 2002 |
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Are the Pentagon's Satellite Communications Vulnerable?Alcatel Wins Telecom Satellite Contract For ChinaBT Broadcast Services and PanAmSat Extend Global AllianceGilat Receives Order from Star One for 2,000 SkyBlaster 360 VSAT TerminalsHelius Adds Convergent Media Systems As Partner in Strategic Alliance ProgramIridium Satellite Adds Distribution Agreement with Satcom DirectIntelsat Buys LA TeleportLoral Skynet Signs Agreement With Satellite Media Services for Internet Connectivity ServicesSED Systems Gains Inmarsat ContractTelenor Launches Sealink Communications Services for Maritime IndustryXM Surpasses 200K in SubscribersAn Employee Buyout of DirecTV Would Use Cash ReservesLiberty Media Wants to Partner With News Corp. to Buy DirecTVsJetBlue Airways Completes Acquisition Of LiveTV, LLCErgen Wins With or Without Merger ApprovalItaly to Support Broadband with Next Finance ActInmarsat Adds Service Providers to Distribution Network in Preparation for Regional BGAN ServiceAndrew Corp. to Cut 1,200 jobs, But Add 400 |
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Are the Pentagon's Satellite Communications Vulnerable?One security expert, Ken Silva, director of technical services and network security with Verisign Corporation, believes the U.S. armed forces satellite communications may be vulnerable to attack - most likely jamming as opposed to hacking or interception. Alcatel Wins Telecom Satellite Contract For ChinaAlcatel Space has signed a contract with the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) for the development and construction of a new telecommunications satellite. Alcatel will provide the payload module - meaning the electronic equipment which specifies the satellite mission - to CAST for the integration of the first China made high capacity communication platform DFH4 into a complete satellite. The new satellite that will be delivered to APT (Hong Kong), is tailored to provide communication, radio and TV broadcasting services to telecom operators and to radio and TV stations. "For Alcatel Space, this new contract, after the deal signed in December 2001, is a great success in the growing market of the Asia Pacific region" said Pascale Sourisse, CEO of Alcatel Space. The satellite is to be launched by a China Long March launcher in 2005. BT Broadcast Services and PanAmSat Extend Global AllianceBT Broadcast Services has signed a new, occasional-use agreement with PanAmSat, enabling its customers to use PanAmSat's global fleet as a platform for major sporting event broadcasts. The new multi-year deal means that BT's customers will now be able to book occasional-use satellite services on PanAmSat's network. This agreement provides BT customers with a turn-key solution for the delivery of breaking news and special events broadcasting around the globe. Gilat Receives Order from Star One for 2,000 SkyBlaster 360 VSAT TerminalsGilat Satellite Networks' Brazilian customer, Star One, has expanded its broadband satellite network by adding 2,000 SkyBlaster 360 VSAT terminals to its existing network of 3,700 VSAT terminals. The additional VSATs will allow Star One to expand its services of broadband Internet access for consumers and small businesses throughout Brazil. The delivery of the new VSAT units is immediate. In May of 2001, Gilat and Star One entered into an agreement to provide Brazil's first consumer, two-way satellite broadband Internet service. The service offers always-on, high-speed Internet access to selected consumer markets and small office/home office users in Brazil. Star One is a partnership of Embratel and satellite operator SES GLOBAL. SkyBlaster is an interactive satellite networking solution designed for IP applications. It combines industry-standard Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) technology with Gilat's inbound satellite access technology to provide high-performance, cost-effective, two-way connectivity for a wide array of content delivery and other multicast and interactive applications. SkyBlaster's broadband satellite platform provides content delivery speeds capable of scaling up to 52.5 Mbps, with a high-speed, always-on 153 kbps satellite return channel. Helius Adds Convergent Media Systems As Partner in Strategic Alliance ProgramHelius has added Convergent Media Systems Corporation to its Strategic Alliance Program, broadening the sources for one-stop broadcast communications solutions. Iridium Satellite Adds Distribution Agreement with Satcom DirectIridium Satellite has added Satcom Direct to its roster of service partners. By tailoring mobile satellite communications solutions for aviation, maritime, land-mobile and government customers, Satcom Direct supports Iridium's strategy of delivering specific vertical market solutions to users who require remote communications capabilities where no other services are available. "Iridium Satellite complements our existing satellite communications portfolio and supports the customer's requirement for a reliable, secure system that offers global coverage," said Jim Jensen, President and CEO of Satcom Direct. Intelsat Buys LA TeleportIn its latest step to assemble a worldwide terrestrial infrastructure to complement its global satellite fleet, Intelsat today announced its acquisition of the PacAmTel teleport, located outside Los Angeles, California. The new teleport, now to be known as Riverside Teleport, has terrestrial links to one of the U.S. West Coast's major telecom point of presence (PoP) - the Meet Me Room (MMR) at One Wilshire in Los Angeles, where a community of service providers interconnect. It also has terrestrial links to a second PoP at 818 West 7th Street, Los Angeles that is connected into Intelsat's global terrestrial fiber links. Intelsat's worldwide network now consists of teleports in California, Fuchsstadt, Germany and Clarksburg, Maryland, as well as fiber interconnected PoPs in Los Angeles, New York, Frankfurt and London. Intelsat anticipates that Riverside will be one of several key ground facilities utilized in Intelsat's GlobalConnex Solutions, a new portfolio of hybrid services that combines Intelsat's global satellite fleet with terrestrial capabilities - including teleport services, fiber and PoPs at strategic exchange points. GlobalConnex Solutions is already delivering end-to-end voice, data, Internet and video solutions efficiently and reliably to customers around the world. Loral Skynet Signs Agreement With Satellite Media Services for Internet Connectivity ServicesLoral Skynet has signed a long-term agreement with London's Satellite Media Services (SMS) for the delivery of its high-speed two-way Internet access and IP data networking packages via Loral's Telstar 12 satellite. SMS will use the capacity to expand its current services in Europe and add coverage in the Middle East. SMS's broadband Internet package is based on the DVB/RCS (digital video broadcast/return channel via satellite) platform, an open standard technology for broadband distribution. Using Telstar 12, SMS's expanded DVB/RCS platform will provide an immediate solution for corporations that demand high quality two-way IP data networking and last-mile connectivity. According to Tim Whittingham, managing director of Satellite Media Services, "The standardization of the DVB/RCS technology could not have come at a better time for SMS. DVB/RCS is a significant milestone in the development of satellite technology, and the SMS/Loral Skynet relationship will exploit this important application that combines high-power satellite capacity with the best ground infrastructure and IP data networking skills available today." Telstar 12, located at 15 degrees West longitude, covers North America as far west as Atlanta, most of South America, Europe, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa. The satellite provides trans-oceanic service for video broadcast and business television, high-speed Internet access and private multimedia services. SED Systems Gains Inmarsat ContractSED Systems has been awarded a contract from Inmarsat to provide a satellite communications Frequency Planning System. The system will be used by Inmarsat to do capacity planning and to develop frequency plans for its entire fleet of communications satellites, including its new Inmarsat-4 series that is scheduled for launch starting in 2003. Telenor Launches Sealink Communications Services for Maritime IndustryTelenor Satellite Services announced the availability of "Sealink," the company's suite of digital high-speed communications solutions that extend corporate networks and make other broadband communications available on a leased basis to ships at sea. Sealink provides turn-key managed communications solutions for a wide variety of maritime industries including ferry and cruise lines, drilling, energy exploration, and scientific research projects, as well as ocean-going transportation and supply operations. Sealink provides integrated solutions where Telenor takes responsibility of all elements including equipment, space segment for C and Ku-band, gateway functions, installation, and operation and maintenance of each system. All communications are delivered through Telenor's gateways and earth stations in Europe and the United States. Sealink combines Telenor's former NORSAT Sealink service with the C-Band services of Telenor's U.S.-based business that together provide essential communications at sea to more than 230 vessels globally. By using resources of both the Intelsat and Thor satellite systems, Sealink provides complete data, video, Internet, and voice shipboard communications that are always available at a fixed price. Sealink communications solution via satellite are based on proven technology that has been developed for more than 10 years to satisfy today's maritime requirements for modern and reliable business communications. Sealink's 'always on' and 'always available' ship-to-shore satellite services offer simultaneous multiple phone, fax, and data access at speeds up to 2 Megabits per second. Sealink provides two satellite communications technologies, C-Band and Ku-Band. Both are ideally suited for a myriad of business and entertainment communications including TV and radio reception; Internet access; video conferencing; large volume data communications; and crew, client, and passenger telephone calls. XM Surpasses 200K in SubscribersXM Satellite Radio said it ended the third quarter with over 200,00 subscribers. With GM offering 25 car models with XM radios next year, XM said it could add 350,000 to 400,000 satellite radio subscribers for the 2003 model year. An Employee Buyout of DirecTV Would Use Cash ReservesThe rumored employee buyout of Hughes from GM is possible due to the $3 billion in cash reserves Hughes is sitting on and the penalty money EchoStar would owe Hughes if their deal is not consummated. The loser could be the company's Internet efforts, which may be dropped to support the buyout. Conversely, Charlie Ergen has pledged $1.4 billion to aid rural Internet access via satellite service. Liberty Media Wants to Partner With News Corp. to Buy DirecTVWith the EchoStar-DirecTV merger looking unlikely due to the Justice Department's misgivings, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. and John Malone's Liberty Media wait in the wings for their chance at the DTH provider. JetBlue Airways Completes Acquisition Of LiveTV, LLCJetBlue Airways announced Friday, 2002.9.27, that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of LiveTV, a provider of inflight entertainment services for single-aisle commercial aircraft and a developer of other wireless technologies. JetBlue has offered customers LiveTV with up to 24 channels of DIRECTV(R) programming free of charge since April 2000. Under the terms of the purchase agreement, JetBlue has acquired 100% of the ownership interests in LiveTV, LLC for $41 million in cash and the retirement of $39 million of LiveTV debt. The acquisition is expected to have no material impact on JetBlue's earnings per share over the next few years and to be mildly accretive to earnings thereafter. LiveTV is now a wholly owned subsidiary of JetBlue Airways, operating as an independent unit that continues to be managed by existing LiveTV management and marketed under the LiveTV name. "With the completion of this acquisition, we have helped to ensure the continuity of an asset we know is highly valued by our customers," said Dave Barger, president and COO of JetBlue. "We look forward to developing new ways to improve the JetBlue experience." Ergen Wins With or Without Merger ApprovalAs the NY Times points out, Charlie Ergen's pursuit of his competitor, DirecTV, has already produced results. EchoStar added key distributors, narrowed the subscriber gap, and produced stronger financial results as merger preparations stole the momentum from DirecTV. Italy to Support Broadband with Next Finance ActItaly's Communications Minister, Maurizio Gasparri, said the next Finance Act will support the spread of high-speed Internet and will help sales of related technologies like computers and modems. Inmarsat Adds Service Providers to Distribution Network in Preparation for Regional BGAN ServiceInmarsat added Telenor and Xantic as distribution partners for its new broadband satellite communications service, Regional BGAN, scheduled for launch later this year. Regional BGAN will deliver a seamless GPRS-compatible data service in up to 99 countries using 144kbit/s shared channels. The new distribution partners join France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications, Morsviazsputnik, Net Africa and Stratos Global Corporation as service providers of the new service. The full BGAN service, which is due to be delivered via Inmarsat's next generation Inmarsat I-4 satellites starting in 2004, is the largest capital expenditure program ever undertaken by Inmarsat. The building of the satellites has progressed on schedule, and when operational, will deliver data rates of up to 432kbit/s with full UMTS (3G) compatibility to over 86 per cent of the earth's surface. Andrew Corp. to Cut 800 JobsIn response to a slump in the telecom market, Andrew Corp. will cut roughly 1,200 jobs in addition to the 500 that have already been eliminated. However, Andrew will add 400 jobs at a new facility in Addison, IL and one along the Texas/Mexico border, netting the job losses at 800. |
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