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Issue #43 - |
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Hughes to Close DSL Service - DIRECTV BroadbandAirlines Prepare to Offer Internet Access Via SatelliteTelecom - Internet Resurgence?Swedish Space Corp. Transmits Broadband Wireless 310 KM With Balloon Link |
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Hughes to Close DSL Service - DIRECTV BroadbandHughes Electronics announced on Friday, 12/14 that its subsidiary, DIRECTV Broadband, Inc., would close its high-speed Internet service business in roughly 90 days and work toward transitioning existing customers to alternative service providers. DIRECTV Broadband, based in Cupertino, was acquired by Hughes in April 2001 and currently serves about 160,000 customers with its DIRECTV DSL service. "Hughes and its subsidiaries have worked steadily over the past months to improve our businesses in anticipation of the merger with EchoStar," said Jack Shaw, president and chief executive officer of Hughes. "When the merger agreement was terminated earlier this week, we promised our shareholders and customers that we would move quickly to strengthen the profitability and efficiency of our company. This decision by DIRECTV Broadband is the first of those moves." Eddy Hartenstein added, "The landscape of the terrestrial broadband industry has changed dramatically since we purchased this business nearly two years ago, and, despite continuing subscriber growth, DIRECTV Broadband cannot operate profitably now or in the foreseeable future. The immediate priority will be to work toward transitioning customers to alternative service providers as quickly as possible, to minimize customer disruptions." Hughes expects to record a fourth quarter 2002 EBITDA charge of between $100 million and $150 million. Airlines Prepare to Offer Internet Access Via SatelliteConnexion by Boeing plans to debut its service Jan. 15 on Lufthansa flights from Frankfurt, Germany, to Washington-Dulles, with Scandanavian Airlines System, British Airways and Japan Airlines to follow. Meanwhile, Tenzing, the Airbus-backed provider, believes the corporate jet segment to be the true market for its services. Telecom - Internet Resurgence?One analyst feels the telecom and internet sector is due for a resurgence, due to the emergence of new applications, the higher-then-expected adoption rates in the Asia-Pacific region, and because of the number of companies that went bust. Swedish Space Corp. Transmits Broadband Wireless 310 KM With Balloon LinkThe Swedish Space Corporation transmitted information via a broadband wireless link over a distance of 310km. The link was made between a stratospheric balloon that was launched from Esrange near the town of Kiruna in northern Sweden and a base stationlocated near Esrange. Onboard the balloon was an antenna supplied by Alvarion, a provider of broadband wireless products. The antenna was connected to a high-power amplifier with 6 watts power output, a camera and a server. Data, such as environmental conditions and weather patterns, were collected and the information was sent back to Esrange via an Alvarion base station which measured 2.4 meters with 6 watt power output and automatic tracking of the antenna using GPS technology. Information received at the base station was then sent back to Esrange via an internal network. The information between the balloon and the base station was transmitted over the 2.4GHz spectrum (2480 Mhz which the SSC is allowed to use with higher ERP) with a stable signal strength of -68 dBm. The round trip ping response at 300Km was 300-500 mSec. The weather balloon reached a maxiumm height of 29.7 km and drifted steadily. |
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