I wanna play Videogames

Army Under Pressure to Bring Broadband to the Battlefield

2010-08-13T14:57:00.000-07:00

The Army has more radios, computers and advanced networking technology than ever before. Soldiers at war, alas, are information-deprived.

Despite an information-technology buying spree over the past decade, the Army has yet to figure out how to sate troops’ gargantuan appetite for information and ever-growing needs for battlefield intelligence. Current battlefield networks are accessible by divisions, brigades and battalions. But smaller units remain digital orphans, even though they lead the day-to-day fighting in current wars. The squads, platoons and companies require high-bandwidth connectivity so they can share information and gain instant awareness of what is happening on the ground, Army officials said.

Help appears to be on the way. In the Army’s 2010 modernization roadmap, the “network” is billed as a top priority. After more than a decade of failed efforts and billions of dollars spent, the pressure is on for the Army to deliver a battlefield network that supports small, mobile units. Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli characterized the network as essential to the future Army. “It will require an open architecture that will allow further plug-and-play development in the future as our network grows and matures,” Chiarelli said at an industry conference last year.

The Army since the early 1990s has made several attempts at building a battlefield Internet, but the technology has leapt way ahead of the military procurement bureaucracy. The closest the Army has come to having an IP network at the squad level is in the “land warrior” system — an ensemble that includes a communications and navigation computer-radio suite. In the land warrior network, each member can pinpoint other soldiers’ locations by simply looking at a display. But this is only a niche solution and does not solve the larger problem of connecting every element of a deployed brigade.

Visions of broadband connectivity in the field and smart phones that can be constantly updated with new applications, from a technical standpoint, are realistic, experts said. But they will never be realized as long as the Army continues to buy IT the same way it acquires tanks and helicopters. It simply takes too long to move technology to the field, and by the time it gets there, the market already has moved on.

The Army’s chief information officer, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Sorenson, said at an industry conference that the service since 9/11 has tripled its inventory of radios to more than 900,000 and increased its ability to transmit data within U.S. Central Command networks from 46 megabytes per second to about 10 gigabytes per second.

Similar capabilities have not trickled down into the small units that don’t have access to the high-tech command centers and need mobile equipment they can operate from their trucks. Platoons and squads have line-of-sight radios — whose signals are blocked by buildings or mountains — with low-bandwidth and they are unable to chat online or transmit images. Soldiers at a typical forward base in Afghanistan using line-of-sight radios travel only a few miles down the road before they lose their connection to the base.

Under a program called Early Infantry Brigade Combat Team Increment 1, or E-IBCT, the Army is piecing together its most advanced information technologies into a deployable network that would allow soldiers to not only stay connected to each other but also to capture intelligence from unmanned sensors and disseminate it throughout the brigade. The Army’s 3rd Infantry Brigade of the 1st Armored Division, which is scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan in 2012, will be the launch customer for the new technologies. Soldiers from the brigade are testing the systems at Fort Bliss, Texas. If the Pentagon approves additional funding, more brigades could be equipped with the advanced network later this decade.

With this technology, the “company commander becomes the network quarterback for the Army,” said Lt. Col. Darby McNulty, deputy program manager for network systems integration. The future company “command post” is being designed to link all soldiers in a company and below, and also to connect the company with higher echelons and with national intelligence databases via satellite. The command post could be set up in a fixed site or could be installed in the cab of a large armored truck.

The nearly 1 million radios that the Army currently owns, however, are not part of this setup. The E-IBCT program is building the network with new software-programmable radios that were developed by the Defense Department’s “joint tactical radio system” or JTRS program. The radios can be programmed to operate a variety of software communication applications that are called “waveforms.”

JTRS program officials said that current radios cannot deliver the high bandwidth that deployed forces need and cannot run the required software applications.

For the company command post, three waveforms are required: The soldier radio waveform (for narrowband communications within a company), the wideband networking waveform (for broadband data transfer) and the network centric waveform (for satellite-based communications). The soldier radio waveform capacity to pass data is about 500 to 600 kilobits per second. The wideband networking waveform transfers five megabytes per second.

JTRS hardware includes a family of radios — a half-pound device for small robots, a two-pound handheld “rifleman” radio, a 14-pound “manpack” and a four-channel command-post system. The entire JTRS program includes nine waveforms not just for the Army but for the other branches of the military as well.

For the first time, the latest advances in radio communications are being brought together in a live exercise, McNulty said during a conference call with reporters. The recent tests at Fort Bliss proved that JTRS is an essential piece of the Army’s future network, he said. “It’s something you absolutely want to stick with.”

For the exercise, mobile company command posts installed aboard armored trucks were outfitted with “network integration kits,” which are the network hubs connecting the terrestrial and satellite layers of the network to one another. Each NIK consists of a command-and-control terminal, called the “integrated computer system,” a four-channel JTRS ground mobile radio and a blue-force tracker display screen. Dismounted soldiers carried either a JTRS rifleman radio or a manpack radio.

The radios in each vehicle create a “mobile ad-hoc network,” or manet. Each tactical radio functions as a cell phone tower. At the tests in Fort Bliss, engineers extended the range of the network by adding an “aerial layer” made up of unmanned aircraft and helicopters that were outfitted with small JTRS radios. “We were able to extend sensor and position data beyond 20 km, in some cases up to 40 km,” McNulty said.

The four-channel JTRS, made by The Boeing Co., runs the soldier radio waveform, the wideband networking waveform and the Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System, or Sincgars, waveform, which allows the commander to talk to all the vehicles in the unit. Sincgars is the most commonly used radio net in the Army.

Details about how the network will be organized and what specific equipment will be acquired are still being hashed out, said McNulty. “We need to better understand who needs what information at what level so we can better optimize the network,” he said. “If you can eliminate extraneous information you can improve the quality of the network, if you send everything to everyone all at once the quality of your service decreases exponentially.”

Tests will continue over the next several months.

It is not an exaggeration to say that this program is under intense scrutiny. The Pentagon’s senior acquisition officials will be reviewing test results this fall, and will determine whether the program will continue to receive funding. A separate evaluation is under way within the Army. This “network capabilities portfolio review” will examine the entire litany of Army IT programs and nominate winners and losers. It will look at whether the Army can afford to acquire new equipment, whether it should stick with “legacy” systems or, a most likely outcome, whether it should have a mix. Overseeing this review is Chiarelli, who has expressed concern about the “affordability” of current programs and famously brandished his iPhone as an example of the low-cost apps-friendly IT that soldiers need but the Army’s plodding acquisition system is unable to provide.

Another contentious issue in the ongoing reviews is whether JTRS can make up for lost time and deliver hardware at prices that are competitive with other radios. JTRS has been in development since 1999 and originally was scheduled to be fielded by 2006. Delays dogged the program as the slippages coincided with the war buildup, when billions of dollars were being appropriated in emergency war budgets to purchase new radios. When it became clear that JTRS was not ready, the Army poured billions into other radios. The result is today’s inventory that has tripled in size.

JTRS program officials now are forecasting that the models that the Army needs — the JTRS HMS (handheld/manpack/small form-fit) radios will be ready for deployment by 2011.
“These radios provide digital connectivity, networking down to the soldier level. That has not been done before,” said Army Col. John V. Zavarelli, program manager for JTRS HMS. Orders of up to 215,000 HMS radios are expected, he said in an interview. “We believe they could increase to 250,000 based on service needs.”

Zavarelli said he was not familiar with the Army’s network review and could not comment on the affordability of JTRS. He said all the services have been funding their share of JTRS research and development expenses. “I’m not sure the costs are an issue,” he said. “I certainly haven’t been told it in that way.”

About 750 pre-production radios have been purchased so far from prime contractor General Dynamics. Once the radios are cleared for full-rate production, the JTRS program office will solicit competitive bids from vendors for each variant. The assumption is that competitors will challenge General Dynamics and help to drive down prices, Zavarelli said. Several industry sources told National Defense that current JTRS HMS handheld radios cost upwards of $75,000 each, but Zavarelli said he could not confirm or discuss prices.

“We are on the edge of operational testing and limited rate production decisions in the next year,” he said. “We’ve offered some alternatives for accelerating and are waiting for a decision.”

Radio suppliers are watching these events closely as they seek to position their products for future JTRS business. Several executives interviewed for this story said they fear that the JTRS program is too rigid in that only radios that strictly meet the technical specifications of JTRS will be allowed to compete. That means none of the radios that exist in the military’s inventory today are acceptable. Under that scenario, the Army would be in a position of having to replace hundreds of thousands of radios that already are paid for and installed. A radio installation kit for an average Army vehicle costs more than the radio itself. When JTRS was conceived in the late 1990s, it was assumed that the radios would be installed in new Future Combat Systems vehicles. But when the FCS vehicle program was terminated last year, some Army officials sounded alarms about what this meant for JTRS. “By losing FCS a lot of the Army’s network and communications programs seriously unraveled,” said a retired Army officer who was closely involved in FCS.

Ripping out existing radios and installing new JTRS systems across the Army’s fleets of vehicles would be an exorbitant expense, several industry sources said. They don’t see how the Army will go along with such a plan when the services are under pressure to cut costs and find $100 billion in savings across all defense programs over the next five years.

Officials from one of the Army’s major radio suppliers, ITT Corp., have for years been trying to sell the idea that its Sincgars combat radios could be modified to run the soldier radio waveform (SRW) so the Army would not have to replace them with more expensive JTRS systems. ITT is the prime contractor for the SRW software and also the manufacturer of the Sincgars radios that the U.S. military has been using since the early 1980s.

ITT has delivered more than 500,000 radios, nearly half of them during the past two years. War funds paid for a huge expansion of ITT’s manufacturing plant so it could ramp up production from 1,000 to 6,000 radios per month. The Army Science Board, an advisory panel, recommended in a 2007 report that the Army “stop buying Sincgars immediately” so it could invest the money in “future, not legacy hardware.” But Congress continued to fund Sincgars purchases, and production continues to this day, although Army orders are scheduled to end in a couple of years.

With such a large inventory in the force, it is hard to see how the Army can toss it and buy all new hardware, said David Prater, ITT vice president for network communications.

“We’ve proposed adding a single channel SRW to keep the cost down,” he said. “For $10,000 to $15,000 you’d get a two-channel radio that does Sincgars or SRW,” compared to a $75,000 two-channel manpack that does those two waveforms plus perhaps one or two others,” Prater said.

“The Army is wrestling with this,” he said. The timing has worked against JTRS. “In the meantime you’ve got all these Sincgars radios,” Prater said. “JTRS kind of missed the war. A lot of equipment was bought” during the past eight years.

Zavarelli insists that none of these options meets the requirements of JTRS.

“Some radios by design are incapable of hosting narrowband and wideband waveforms,” he said. ITT has suggested adding a “sidehat” data radio to Sincgars that could run the SRW waveform, but Zavarelli is not convinced that it would work. “That’s a separate entire radio that’s added to the Sincgars. I have a requirement for SRW radios and that’s what we are doing.”

Other vendors also have questioned the radio-procurement strategy as well as the Army’s larger game plan for acquiring information technology.

The Defense Department spent the better part of a decade developing JTRS and during that time the industry has moved on to other products and the technology landscape has changed, said Steve Marschilok, president of defense business at Harris RF Communications.

Any company that competes for JTRS production contracts will have to build a custom radio that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the marketplace, Marschilok said.

“You can’t procure IT the way we always have,” said Dennis Moran, vice president of Harris Corp.’s government communications systems division. The Army is stuck with an “antiquated requirements process that goes from Fort Gordon, to Fort Monroe, to the Pentagon,” Moran said. “You can’t force technology to adapt to requirements that are out of touch before ink is even dried on paper at TRADOC headquarters.”

In the case of JTRS, the government could have saved billions it spent on development by purchasing off-the-shelf products, Moran said. That is how U.S. Special Operations Command does business these days, he noted.

Harris has supplied more than 120,000 radios to the Defense Department. The company is a JTRS contractor for single-channel radios and expects to compete for future production contracts for the JTRS rifleman and manpack systems. It plans to offer variants of its existing radios even though the program office says none of today’s commercial radios meet the JTRS requirements. Harris also is expected to bid its PRC/117G radio against competing systems from BAE Systems and Rockwell Collins for the four-channel JTRS ground mobile radio.

A commercial approach to building the Army’s networks would save billions of dollars, said Moran. If JTRS were to be canceled, “ITT and Harris radios could give you an extremely powerful architecture at a much better value than potentially the Defense Department has budgeted for JTRS,” he said. Still, JTRS is an important program for the Defense Department because it can help guide industry investments, he said. “We need the program to develop the standards, to ensure interoperability,” Moran said. “You want waveforms to be seamless to the soldier. We don’t want the program killed. But is there a better way to invest the dollars? Maybe there is.”

Paul D. Mueller, vice president of Motorola’s federal government market, said the military has failed to tap the commercial sector for new technology and remains bogged down in “programs of record” that take too long to deliver products. Defense Department IT users demand unique levels of security for information networks but there are ways to bridge their needs with commercially available technology, Mueller said.

“We’re excited about the adoption of the smart phone technology” for the U.S. military, he said. “That looks like a good bet for us.” There is growing interest in Motorola’s Android smart phone because of its open system and its potential for the military to be able to run its own software applications. Smart phones are regarded as the ticket to information sharing on the battlefield.

The Marine Corps has been ahead of the Army in modifying commercial radios and wireless networking technology for tactical communications, he said.

Motorola has designed a “gateway” box that would bridge cellular, Iridium satellite and land mobile radio networks so users of different cell phones and radios can talk to each other.

The JTRS waveforms could be installed in current radios such as the Marine Corps’ P-25 handheld devices as a low-cost alternative to the HMS radios, said Mueller.

Marines in small units communicate on the battlefield and back to their ships with a mix of commercial and military systems. The “distributed tactical communications system” employs military radios and Iridium commercial satellite services. They also have a terrestrial mobile network built by Trellisware, a commercial supplier of wireless systems.

nationaldefensemagazine.org

Satelllite Optimization Enhances Network Performance for Remote Branch Offices

2010-08-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

For remote branch offices that are unable to access ISDN or fiber infrastructure, Satellite links are the only hope for communications and networking. But, increasing bandwidth over Satellite links is a very expensive proposition. However, there is a more cost-effective alternative to improve network performance of satellite links: satellite optimization.

For the purpose of optimizing its clients’ satellites, Roseland, NJ-based Expand Networks, Inc. has developed wide-area network (WAN) compression and acceleration algorithms to significantly enhance application response time across network to remote sites.

Consolidated Minerals (CSM), an independent West Australian public company whose principle operations are the exploration, mining, processing and exporting of high grade manganese and chromite ores from Western Australia to markets in Asia and Europe, demonstrated the effectiveness of satellite optimization.

Because CSM’s two main projects are in remote regions of Australia, they required advanced communication solutions. In fact, the two projects, the Woodie Woodie Manganese Project and the Coobina Chromite Project, are located a respective 1,3000 km and 1,000 km from CSM’s headquarters in Perth, Australia.

Due the remoteness of these sites, CSM is dependent on satellite communications to network the main project sites with the head office. The CSM network has up to 100 users and provides the infrastructure necessary to support administrative tasks for the main mine sites. The network is used for Internet, e-mail, remote desktop and Telnet applications.

To improve application response time, CSM found that increasing bandwidth over Satellite links was very costly. The Australian company was looking for a more cost-effective option to improve its network performance.

So, to achieve a minimum of 200 percent improvement in bandwidth, CSM adopted Expand Network’s satellite optimization technology, the 4820 Acceleration device.

CSM installed two Expand 4820 Accelerator devices on their network, one at the headquarters and another at the remote mine site in Coobina. In addition, the company also utilized Expand’s QoS feature to improve responsiveness of real-time applications such as Telnet and remote desktops, which are critical to its business operations.

According to Expand Networks, proof of concept testing exceeded customer expectations when it produced a 300-400 percent increase in bandwidth and demonstrated the ability to perform effectively over Satellite links to remote sites.

In summary, satellite optimization enabled CSM to avoid costly bandwidth upgrades and improved its “real-time” responsiveness for business critical applications by dramatically boosting capacity of the company’s satellite network.

Blackstone advises teetering TerreStar - sources

2010-08-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

Cash-strapped telecom TerreStar Corp is working with a restructuring team from Blackstone Group (BX.N) in negotiations with its major creditors, including Phil Falcone's Harbinger Capital Partners, according to people familiar with the situation.

Reston, Virginia-based TerreStar hired the restructuring arm of private equity firm Blackstone to head up the talks with its bondholders several weeks ago in a bid to stave off a bankruptcy filing, the sources said.

Douglas Brandon, TerreStar's general counsel, declined to comment.

TerreStar, which is trying to build a wireless network that relies on both satellite and earth-based communications systems, said in an Aug. 6 regulatory filing that it may have to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Reuters reported on Thursday that the company could soon file for bankruptcy if the restructuring talks prove fruitless. In Friday trading on the Nasdaq stock market, TerreStar shares were down 14 cents, or 36 percent, to 25 cents.

In the event of a bankruptcy, some of TerreStar's bondholders, including Harbinger, are prepared to step in and provide the company with debtor-in-possession financing to enable it to continue operating during the Chapter 11 proceedings, sources familiar with the situation said.

In the restructuring talks, Harbinger, a New York-based hedge fund with more than $6 billion in assets spread across a half-dozen funds, is being advised by bankers from UBS (UBS.N).

Falcone's hedge fund is TerreStar's biggest equity holder and owns $150 million of the company's nearly $1 billion in debt, according to regulatory filings.

Harbinger owns a rival telecom company, LightSquared, which has entered into a number of lease agreements with TerreStar.

A Harbinger spokesman did not return a phone call seeking comment. UBS and Blackstone declined to comment.

In July, UBS arranged a $400 million financing package for Harbinger. The hedge fund pledged billions of dollars in assets as collateral, including its equity interest in the holding company for LightSquared.

Industry Sees Growing Market For Personal Tracking Devices

2010-08-13T14:43:00.000-07:00

Troops in combat zones, workers in remote areas, hikers and mountain climbers are an emerging market for providers of two-way tracking devices. The technology so far has mostly been used by the Defense Department, but as price points come down it is becoming a more attractive alternative for non-military buyers.

Two-way satellite alerting and messaging systems have been around for a long time. But personal location device providers now see potential new customers as electronics become more miniaturized and the availability of two-way satellite services increases.

Iridium Communications Inc., a satellite communications company, has developed a matchbook-sized transceiver and a half-dollar-sized antenna that can be incorporated into a variety of handheld and man-portable devices. The components enable the tracking systems to communicate with a satellite network. Military special operations forces now use some of those advanced technologies to keep tabs on their units. Industry experts expect to see demand for those personnel trackers increasing throughout the armed forces and expanding to other agencies in the coming years.

For now, though, the trackers are limited in size to items such as radios and PDAs.

The overall personal tracking market could have as many as 1 million terminals in use by 2014, said a study released earlier this year by Telecom, Media and Finance Associates Inc. Two-way devices may account for 25 percent of the $150 million retail service revenues expected in that year.

Traditional non-military tracking systems function more like beacons, which emit a signal at regular intervals with location information and diagnostic data readings. Such one-way communication sensors are useful for remote monitoring of pipelines and other infrastructure. But when they are deployed by federal agencies and companies to track employees working in distant locations, the limited communications can cause problems. For example, the tracker can transmit emergency signals accidentally and trigger a search-and-rescue operation unnecessarily because command centers cannot confirm the alert with the person carrying it.

A growing number of companies are solving that issue by developing trackers that can send and receive text messages.

EMS Technologies Inc.’s latest product is the Osprey, a personal tracking device with two-way satellite communications capability.

This is almost a blue force tracker for individuals, says Steve Edgett, vice president for business development at EMS Global Tracking. The handheld device operates on Inmarsat’s geosynchronous satellite constellation. Through those satellites, customers can send 10-byte messages back and forth to the tracker, which has a menu of pre-selected texts.

Comparable products cost thousands of dollars, but the company intends to sell the technology for $1,200 per unit and provide the training, network and resources necessary for customers to monitor their own personnel. That price point will drop further through electronics miniaturization and new satellite communication services being made available, he adds.

Companies and governments increasingly are focusing on using satellite signals to provide personal communications and information well beyond location data, says William Ostrove, space systems analyst at Forecast International.

The three largest direct-to-consumer satellite service providers — Globalstar, Iridium and Orbcomm — are all in the process of upgrading their fleets for increased capacity for the two-way communications traffic. Iridium, which owns the largest fleet of low-earth orbit constellation satellites, recently awarded a contract to Thales to replace its 66 satellites with 81 next-generation systems. The current network was designed to support more than 1 million voice subscribers. In July, its tally of subscribers was 359,000, and many of them were data subscribers, company officials said. The new satellites will not only add capacity to the system but it will also boost data rates, says Shay.

SkyBitz Collaborates with QinetiQ to Provide Global Terrestrial Tracking Solution

2010-08-13T14:40:00.000-07:00

To provide a global terrestrial asset tracking solution, SkyBitz, the major player in remote asset tracking and information management solutions has entered into a partnership relation with QinetiQ’s GPS enabled telematics business, a high sensitivity business which delivers tracking solutions in difficult operational environments.

With the new partnership, SkyBitz can now address customer markets and operations both in North America and internationally, such as high-value load transportation, local delivery operations, heavy and construction equipment, as well as goods movement using flatbed and less than truckload assets that have a need for a high-data rate solution via a ruggedized device and secure terrestrial network.

The SkyBitz Falcon Series GXT1000, which sets a new standard with its ability to operate in harsh environments that demand a reliable, high performance tracking device with accurate reporting and increased security requirements, will be the first offering under the agreement. In developing and delivering services and solutions for surveillance, vehicle and trailer tracking, and the security of goods in transit or portable assets for governments and commercial customers, this new terrestrial-based solution will leverage the experience of QinetiQ’s GPS business.

The terrestrial solution of SkyBitz will operate on a Global System for Mobile Communications platform, building upon SkyBitz’s existing GSM network relationship with KORE Telematics, the world’s largest digital wireless services provider specializing in machine-to-machine communications. SkyBitz’s forthcoming two-way global satellite solutions from Iridium Communications Inc., the only provider of truly global mobile satellite services are complemented by the SkyBitz Falcon Series GXT1000 terrestrial-based solution.

Lex Alexander, QinetiQ Managing Director GPS Enabled Telematics said, “We are particularly pleased to be partnering with SkyBitz as it expands our global offering of telematics products into the United States. SkyBitz has an excellent reputation as well as a premium position in the transportation tracking marketplace. Working together our GPS enabled telematics business and SkyBitz can penetrate additional security and defense sectors.”

Due to its self-contained design, no external antenna and stealth installation capability, the SkyBitz Falcon Series GXT1000 is ideal for transporting high-value goods or recovering stolen assets like containers, trailers, construction and other heavy equipment. Via SkyBitz’s InSight, a best-in-class asset management tool for tracking, monitoring and managing a broad range of assets for multiple industries, information is delivered to end-users.

QinetiQ’s GPS Enabled Telematics business holds more than 25 years of experience in satellite navigation and tracking systems.

Africa launches satellite into space

2010-08-13T14:16:00.000-07:00

At the dawn of this third millennium, Africa’s eyes are fixed on space. By launching the new satellite of the African regional communications satellite, called Rascom-QAF1R, Africa is hoping to catch up and develop its technological and telecommunication network.

The take-off of the Ariane 5 rocket without a hitch on 4th August 2010 has finally brought real commercial prospects for this project, which was co-funded by the Libya Africa Investment Fund and more than forty African telecom operators.

It was Europe’s Ariane 5 rocket that powered the telecommunications satellite Rascom to orbit. Covering mainly Sub-Saharan Africa, the satellite, whose construction was entrusted in 1999 to Alcatel-Alenia (now Thales-Alenia), will connect African villages to the Internet without having to install expensive networks. Twenty-eight African countries have already committed to renting its services.

The new satellite has replaced his older brother RQ1, which was put into orbit in December 2007. Victim of a helium leak, the first satellite saw its life expectancy drop from 15 to 3 years. Consequence: there was an urgent need to replace it by the beginning of 2011. That has been achieved.

The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) identified and listed the project of Pan-African satellite system RASCOM-QAF as basic infrastructure of utmost importance to facilitate the development of new technologies of information and communication.

Like its predecessor, RQ1R strives to provide telecommunications services to African operators and bridge the digital divide by connecting the great cities of the continent with broadband infrastructure but also by bringing phone in remote areas through low-cost terminals.

Hundred and thirty thousand remote villages could be served by VSAT: 15 000 antennas have already been ordered for this purpose and are ready to be installed. Other target clients are televisions, who, with the transition to high definition, have become very large consumers of satellite links. To encourage its progress, Rascom also announced 386 million euros of savings for the telecom sector through the elimination of interconnection fees.

The RASCOM infrastructure will enable national telecommunications operators in Africa to develop a national traffic base designed to render their incomes less dependent on international traffic over which they have less control and could hence increase income opportunities through the inter-African traffic flows generated by direct links between all the African countries and associated islands.

Spacenet signs contract with Valero

2010-08-13T14:14:00.000-07:00

Spacenet, a wholly owned subsidiary of Gilat Satellite Networks and provider of broadband network solutions, has signed a contract with Valero to serve as a provider for broadband network managed services and offer connectivity to its nationwide wholesale locations.

Valero will be offering Spacenet's broadband communications services to support its primary retail applications and network backup.

Valero is leveraging Spacenet's satellite and digital subscriber line (DSL) broadband managed services as well as its Prysm Pro network appliance to support its retail applications. These applications include internet and intranet access, point-of-sale and credit and debit transactions, ATM transactions, Automatic Tank Gauge, WiFi, store loyalty programs and video security, the company said.

The upgraded network combines Spacenet's SkyEdge VSAT satellite platform and DSL managed services into a centrally managed, integrated platform that supports full Payment Card Industry compliance. The new network supports speeds, functionality and network availability to support expanding applications, the company added.

In addition, Valero is leveraging Spacenet's Prysm Pro, which is a modular IP network appliance that offers features including hybrid switching between wireline and wireless technologies for business continuity and network backup. Additionally, the Prysm Pro appliance can be integrated with Spacenet's managed network services, providing access to a web portal to enable centralized network management.

India’s African satellite network to be expanded

2010-08-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

Twelve more African countries will be formally inducted into India's flagship initiatives in tele-medicine and tele-education as part of the Pan-African network that will also establish a communication link between Secretariats of their Heads of States.

On Aug 16, Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna will have a video-conference with ministers of 12 African countries. These will be the second batch of African nations to be formally inducted into the satellite network.

The first batch of eleven countries had been inducted in February 2009, when the then External Affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee had inaugurated the network with a similar video-conference ceremony.

So far, India has signed agreement with 47 countries in Africa, but the infrastructure has been completed in thirty-four of them.

The countries that will be formally part of the network are Botswana, Burundi, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia and Uganda.

The eleven countries in the first batch were Benin, Burkina Faso, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Seychelles.

There are three components to the Pan-African network, implemented by state-run Tele Communications of India Limited (TCIL) which are tele-medicine, tele-education, as well as, a "VVIP" network between the heads of state or government.

The pilot project of the network was with 34 students to acquire a degree in Masters of Business Administration from Indira Gandhi National Open University, without even leaving their country's border.

Since then, 2000 African students are enrolled to get their degrees from top Indian universities, by attending classes by Indian lecturers, through video-conferencing.

Besides, doctors in African hospitals are also getting further training as part Continuing Medical Education classes conducted by Indian doctors working in super-specialty medical institutions here. "We have conducted 658 CME sessions so far," a senior TCIL official said.

Online medical consultation is also being provided to each participating African country for a period of five years in various medical disciplines.

Inmarsat Deal Boosts Boeing Bid

2010-08-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

Inmarsat’s decision to go with Boeing Satellite Systems (BSS) for its Global Xpress deal marks a major step forward in the aerospace giant’s goal to return in force to the commercial satellite business.

In the last decade, BSS saw its commercial activities largely vanish in the wake of engineering glitches, lawsuits and skyrocketing defense demand that caused it to shift its focus to military space. However, with U.S. defense budget growth on the wane, illustrated by the department’s decision to cancel the Transformational Satellite (TSAT) system, the U.S. manufacturer is being forced to change course.

Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Space and Intelligence Systems (S&IS) at Boeing Defense, Space & Security, says the company will attempt to raise commercial satellite sales to 30% of the company’s space business within five years, up from 10% now.

Large investments in military broadband and other new technologies that are in heavy demand in the commercial world — many of them intended for TSAT — are expected to help. Rupert Pearce, senior vice president of Inmarsat Enterprises, notes that through its role in the Defense Department’s Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) system, Boeing has supplied more than 70% of Ka-band capacity worldwide.

BSS also moved to broaden its product line to more closely hew to commercial requirements. The launch of the 702 MP spacecraft last year provided an offering in the popular medium-size segment of the industry that immediately led to a four-satellite award — two firm and two to be assigned later — from Intelsat. The first spacecraft under that award, carrying an Australian-hosted military payload, is to be launched in 2012.

The three Global Xpress satellites, to be handed over by 2014, provide a welcome boost to the top-of-the-line 702 HP satellite bus (Aerospace DAILY, Aug. 9).

Equally important, they give Boeing a foothold in the fast-growing market for high-throughput Ka-band satellites, intended to meet mushrooming demand for broadband Internet access. This sector had previously been dominated by Space Systems/Loral — said to be one of the losing bidders for Global Xpress — and Astrium. The other reported loser, Thales Alenia Space, has been developing a new 12-18-kw. bus, in cooperation with Astrium, to better address the market.

Together, the Inmarsat and Intelsat sales have rejuvenated BSS’s commercial satellite business, which in recent years has averaged barely one unit per year. Jim Simpson, vice president of marketing development and sales at BSS, predicts at least one-two annual sales of 702 HP and MP models in the years to come.

Boeing management expects commercial success, in turn, to drive more government business, particularly in areas like communications, where technologies and satellites can be widely shared. Roger Krone, president of Network and Space Systems at Boeing, says, “There is more dialogue than ever before” for hosted payloads, in particular. Krone also thinks the Defense Department will need up to six more WGSs, including two units for which only long-lead items have been ordered to date.

Gilat settles litigation related to termination of 2008 merger agreement for USD20m

2010-08-12T15:58:00.000-07:00

Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd (Nasdaq: GILT | PowerRating) announced the signature of settlement agreements with each of Mivtach Shamir Holdings Ltd, LR Group Ltd, Gores Capital Partners II L.P and DGB Investments Inc against which Gilat had filed lawsuits in November 2008.

These lawsuits were filed by the company in connection with the termination of the Merger Agreement, dated 31 March 2008. The lawsuits were filed based on guarantees delivered by each of the defendants to cover their respective portion of the total amount of approximately USD47.0m.

The settlement agreements will result in the termination of all court proceedings filed by Gilat against each of the defendants, as well as general mutual waivers and releases provided by all parties, including the entities formed by the defendants to purchase Gilat.

Under the terms of the settlement agreement the defendants will pay Gilat an aggregate of approximately USD20m, over half of which will be paid by 1 October 2010 with the remainder to be paid in annual instalments ending in October 2013.

The settlement agreements were reached as part of mediation proceedings that began in 2009.

iN DEMAND and SES WORLD SKIES Renew Video on Demand and Pay-Per-View Pact

2010-08-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

SES WORLD SKIES, a division of SES S.A., announced that iN DEMAND has renewed a long-term capacity deal, tapping two satellites to deliver much of its Video On Demand, Pay-Per-View and HD content to cable systems across North America.

As part of the renewal agreement, iN DEMAND will continue to utilize two transponders aboard SES WORLD SKIES' AMC-1 and AMC-10 satellites to support its innovative transactional platforms featuring sports, movies, events and entertainment programming. In all, iN DEMAND relies on five transponders and three of SES WORLD SKIES' HD-PRIME satellites (AMC-1, AMC-10, AMC-11) to reach more than 52 million households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean.

"SES WORLD SKIES' advanced satellites and its HD-PRIME neighborhood have played an important role in the exciting growth of iN DEMAND," said John Vartanian, Chief Technology Officer for iN DEMAND. "We will continue to depend on the advanced infrastructure of SES WORLD SKIES to extend our reach and meet the evolving needs of our cable affiliates."

Thales Selects Seakr to Develop Iridium Next Communication Processor

2010-08-12T15:51:00.000-07:00

SEAKR Engineering, Inc., a privately held company, announced that Thales Alenia Space (TAS), the Iridium NEXT prime contractor, has awarded the communication processor for the Iridium NEXT constellation to SEAKR Engineering. The Iridium NEXT constellation will ultimately replace the existing Iridium constellation providing enhanced mobile satellite communication services worldwide, with the first Iridium NEXT satellite launches scheduled for the first quarter of 2015.

The communication processor plays the critical role in the Iridium NEXT constellation of providing MOD/DEMOD for the user RF links, the satellite-to-satellite cross links, and the satellite-to-gateway links on Earth. It is also responsible for managing the network and routing user traffic. The processor will support existing waveforms to provide a seamless replacement of the existing constellation while also providing advanced capabilities to improve speed, bandwidth, and flexibility.

The scalability and flexibility of the Iridium NEXT communication processor will also have the potential for new applications beyond voice communications and is being developed with government and commercial cooperative relationships in mind which could leverage Iridium's unique constellation architecture.

2010-08-12T15:31:00.000-07:00

Thuraya has launched its first satellite aeronautical service, AviationComms, which aims to provide cost-effective voice communications for various types of aircraft.

The initial service offering is based on Thuraya’s compact narrowband terminal, providing voice, fax and 9.6 kilobits per second (Kbps) circuit switch data, as well as GmPRS data at speeds of up to 60 Kbps. The solution is already installed and operational onboard more than 200 helicopters and business jets.

Thuraya said it would offer an enhanced AviationComms portfolio and service later this year. The company also is currently developing a terminal that will provide data speeds of up to 444 Kbps in standard mode and up to 384 Kbps in streaming mode as well as voice and optional onboard GSM services. The terminal is scheduled for release in the fourth quarter.

CapRock Launches Energy Market VSAT Service

2010-08-12T15:07:00.000-07:00

Harris Corp. subsidiary CapRock Communications has launched its turnkey FieldAccess VSAT service offering for land drilling, shallow-water and production platform markets in the United States.

The off-the-shelf service suite includes broadband Internet, voice connectivity, corporate networking, real-time data, equipment and technical support under all-inclusive pricing plans. CapRock said it would leverage in-region field technicians for FieldAccess technical support in order to provide quicker service response.

“CapRock has served clients with operations in the Gulf of Mexico for more than 29 years and holds approximately 50 percent market share within the drilling segment, but has not specifically targeted the shallow water production market. With our new service we will be able to further serve the production market and customers can now rely on us for all of their offshore communication needs,” CapRock Global Energy Services President Keith Johnson said in a statement.

Lockheed Martin First Advanced EHF Satellite Encapsulated

2010-08-11T15:42:00.000-07:00

The first Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) military communications satellite was encapsulated into the fairing in preparation for a mid-August liftoff aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

Designed and built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Sunnyvale, Calif., the AEHF will deliver survivable, protected, secure links to U.S. national leaders, air, land and sea forces, providing rapid, global coverage for the nation's strategic forces, the Air Force's space warning assets and operationally deployed military forces. The AEHF constellation will also serve international partners including Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

One AEHF satellite will provide greater total capacity that the entire Milstar constellation. Individual user data rates will be five times improved. The higher data rates will permit transmission of tactical military communication such as real-time video, battlefield maps and targeting data.

The AEHF team is led by the U.S. Air Force Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing at the Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Sunnyvale, Calif., is the AEHF prime contractor and system manager, with Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, Redondo Beach, Calif., as the payload provider.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 136,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's 2009 sales from continuing operations were $44.5 billion.

Newtec Wins Major U.S. Government Order for FlexACM(R)

2010-08-11T15:26:00.000-07:00

Newtec announced today a multi-million dollar order from a major government prime contractor in the United States for its FlexACM(R) technology for IP trunking satellite links. The installation, comprising Elevation EL470 Satellite IP modems with FlexACM technology in 1:1 and 1:4 redundant configurations, will form the core of an entirely new infrastructure for the project.

FlexACM combines a range of cutting edge technologies for implementing Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM), traffic shaping, payload compression and IP acceleration in a highly efficient way. The integrated unique patent-pending Noise and Distortion Estimator (NoDE) provides accurate monitoring of the satellite link quality and enables optimum usage of satellite transponders. In addition to on average doubling the capacity of an existing link, FlexACM guarantees the highest availability of link reception even during heavy rain fade, making it ideal to use on Ku-band and Ka-band links.

Intelsat signs multiyear deal with Sony Pictures

2010-08-11T15:17:00.000-07:00

Intelsat SA, satellite services provider said it has signed a multiyear contract with Sony Pictures Television to give it capacity on its Intelsat 17 satellite located in the Indian Ocean region.

The satellite is scheduled to launch later this year. It is designed to provide service for the next 16 years, across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Russia and Asia, Intelsat said.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

SEAKR Has Been Awarded The Iridium NEXT Communication Processor

2010-08-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

SEAKR Engineering, Inc., a privately held company,announced that Thales Alenia Space (TAS), the Iridium NEXT prime contractor, has awarded the communication processor for the Iridium NEXT constellation to SEAKR Engineering. The Iridium NEXT constellation will ultimately replace the existing Iridium constellation providing enhanced mobile satellite communication services worldwide, with the first Iridium NEXT satellite launches scheduled for the first quarter of 2015.

The communication processor plays the critical role in the Iridium NEXT constellation of providing MOD/DEMOD for the user RF links, the satellite-to-satellite cross links, and the satellite-to-gateway links on Earth. It is also responsible for managing the network and routing user traffic. The processor will support existing waveforms to provide a seamless replacement of the existing constellation while also providing advanced capabilities to improve speed, bandwidth, and flexibility.

The scalability and flexibility of the Iridium NEXT communication processor will also have the potential for new applications beyond voice communications and is being developed with government and commercial cooperative relationships in mind which could leverage Iridium's unique constellation architecture.

Boeing wins order for three next-gen satellites

2010-08-11T15:00:00.000-07:00

Boeing Co. has received a new contract from communications technology provider Inmarsat to build three Ka-band satellites that will expand its current mobile satellite services fleet. The value of the contract was not reported, but Inmarsat has confirmed it is investing $1.2 billion in a new fleet of next-generation satellites in response to a shift in demand from voice communications to data services.

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The Boeing units, to be known as Inmarsat-5 satellites, will allow Inmarsat to adapt to changes in subscriber usage, involving high data rates, specialized applications and evolving demographics over a projected 15-year service. Inmarsat will arrange the launch of the satellites, which Boeing will design to be compatible with the Ariane, Sea Launch, Proton, and Atlas launch vehicles.

Separately, Boeing entered into a distribution partnership with Inmarsat to provide L- and Ka-band capacity to key users within the U.S. government.

Boeing’s contract, a fixed-price deal, with options, calls for it to build three 702HP commercial spacecraft with 89 Ka-band beams that will operate in geosynchronous orbit with flexible global coverage. The new satellite series, to be known as Inmarsat-5, draws on Boeing's 40 years of experience with satellite technology and Ka-band satellite communications systems. It claims to have produced more than 175 commercial communications satellites and its extensive expertise in Ka-band satellite communications systems.

"This contract represents a best-value solution that combines Boeing's unmatched commercial satellite heritage and Ka-band satellite communications experience to meet Inmarsat's satellite requirements," stated vice president and general manager Craig Cooning of Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems. "Boeing has produced more Ka-band satellite communications systems than any other manufacturer, and we are currently producing the Wideband Global SATCOM satellite series, which is the primary Ka-band system for the U.S. government. We are committed to a successful partnership with Inmarsat for this newest addition to their service fleet."

DigitalGlobe Signs $3.55 Billion Agreement with NGA

2010-08-11T14:54:00.000-07:00

DigitalGlobe, Inc. , a provider of commercial earth imagery products and solutions, said Monday that it has entered into a $3.55 billion agreement with National Geospatial Intelligence Agency or NGA, under the EnhancedView procurement. The agreement will be effective September 1, upon expiration of its NextView Agreement and has a ten year term.

As a result of the EnhancedView Service Level Agreement, DigitalGlobe also updated its outlook for the full year 2010. In the morning trading session, the company's shares are up by 12% on the NYSE. The company collects imagery products and services through its three high-resolution imagery satellites. As per the agreement, Longmont, Colorado-based DigitalGlobe will supply satellite imagery deliveries from the WorldView satellite constellation under a Service Level Agreement for $2.8 billion and up to $750 million for value added products, infrastructure enhancements and other services.

Under the EnhancedView Service Level Agreement, the company will supply deliveries worth $250 million annually or $20.8 million per month for the first four contract years. For the remaining six years, it will increase to $300 million annually or $25 million per month. The company said it will immediately begin procurement and construction of its next satellite, WorldView-3, which is expected to be ready for launch by the end of 2014.

According to the company, the ten-year term includes nine one-year options exercisable by NGA , subject to Congressional appropriations and the right of NGA to terminate or suspend the contract at any time. The company now expects full-year 2010 earnings to be in the range of $0.40 to $0.55 per share, compared to the prior forecast of $0.25 to $0.55 per share. Total revenues for the year are now expected to be between $340 million and $360 million, compared to previous guidance of $330 million to $360 million. Eight analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect the company to report earnings of $0.37 per share on revenues of $341.78 million for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.

DGI is currently trading at $31.21, up $3.49 or 12.59%, on a volume of 825 thousand shares.

Another Ariane 5 is delivered to the Spaceport in French Guiana

2010-08-11T14:48:00.000-07:00

The active mission pace for Arianespace’s workhorse Ariane 5 is being sustained as a new launcher is welcomed to the Spaceport.

This latest heavy-lift vehicle was delivered to French Guiana yesterday aboard the MN Colibri, which is one of two roll-on/roll-off ships that transport components from Europe to the launch site in South America. Today, the launcher hardware was transferred by road from the port of Pariacabo to the Spaceport.

Arianespace is planning a total of six Ariane 5 flights during 2010, with three of these already performed and a fourth mission in advanced preparation for liftoff in September.

The three launches conducted so far this year have orbited six satellites, delivering a combined payload lift performance of nearly 24,600 kg.

This activity began with Arianespace’s May 21 launch of the ASTRA 3B commercial telecommunications satellite for Luxembourg-based SES ASTRA, along with the COMSAT Bw-2 secure military relay spacecraft for Astrium GmbH on behalf of the German Bundeswehr.

It was followed by a June 26 flight that lofted Arabsat’s Arabsat-5A telecommunications and TV broadcasting satellite, with the multi-purpose COMS spacecraft for South Korea’s KARI (Korea Aerospace Research Institute).

Arianespace’s latest mission success occurred August 4, orbiting two satellites that will provide telecommunications services to Africa, the Middle East and Persian Gulf states: NILESAT 201 for Egyptian-based Nilesat, and RASCOM-QAF1R for the Pan-African satellite operator, RascomStar-QAF.

Preparations are well advanced for the fourth Ariane 5 flight of 2010, with its launcher having completed the initial build-up at the Spaceport. This vehicle will carry Eutelsat’s W3B telecommunications satellite and the BSAT-3b relay platform for B-SAT Corporation, and is scheduled for launch on September 15.

Amended rules could send Telesat out of Canadian orbit

2010-08-11T11:53:00.000-07:00

Telesat could be the latest Ottawa technology company to get foreign ownership.

Chief executive Dan Goldberg kicked off the latest earnings conference call by telling analysts that the federal government has lifted rules limiting foreign ownership of the big satellite operator. Telesat has substantial debt from the $3.2-billion deal that expanded the company in 2007. With interest rates at record low levels, the opportunity to raise new capital is tempting.

Analysts wanted to know what Telesat will have to do if a new financing leads to a change of control. Goldberg said Investment Canada would still review the deal. "We (would) have to demonstrate that the change in ownership becoming foreign controlled, that at the end of the day there was a net benefit for Canada."

Harvard-trained Goldberg led the complicated restructuring of Telesat in 2007 that improved its competitive position in a global market dominated by much bigger operators in Europe and the U.S.

Loral, a New York satellite company, put its satellites and investments into the Telesat fleet and got a 64-per-cent stake in Telesat profits. Canadian pension funds put in financing and kept two-thirds of the Telesat board seats to comply with the now defunct rules. The arrangement looked like a recipe for trouble, but Goldberg, a skilled expert in the global industry, said the marriage has gone smoothly.

Loral chief executive Mickey Targoff certainly likes the deal -- almost half of his potential bonus this year will be driven by Telesat financial performance. But Telesat has a hefty debt load in U.S. dollars. Depending on exchange rates, that can have a dramatic impact on results.

Switching to U.S. dollar reporting and reducing the debt at lower interest rates might prove attractive. But it will probably mean Telesat will join a long list of Ottawa companies, including the Nortel operating businesses, Tundra, Newbridge, Third Brigade and Cognos, that are no longer Canadian-controlled.

Telesat sales rose just two per cent in the latest quarter to $205 million, partly because because of the loss of a contract serving General Motors dealerships with training and information programs.

Telesat said it lost the business to Internet operators, not to another satellite operator. Telesat lost $72 million in the quarter because of foreign exchange movements affecting its U.S. debt. It turned a profit of $182 million a year earlier.

Meanwhile, another satellite company with an Ottawa profile faces some significant challenges. U.S.-based TerreStar launched a new communications satellite a year ago to serve remote customers and provide backup service to global wireless companies facing increased congestion on their networks. But negotiations have not gone well and TerreStar has missed some key deadlines for financing the operation.

The stock plunged on the grim warning.

Huawei Technologies continues to get the brush-off in its efforts to crack the U.S. market. The booming Chinese communication equipment maker reportedly bid more than $100 million above the selling prices for the wireless networking business of Motorola and 2Wire Inc., a software maker.

Bloomberg News said sellers doubted that Huawei would win U.S. government business over fears about possible links with the Chinese government. The U.S. Congress effectively blocked a Huawei bid for 3Com in 2008 by launching an investigation into security concerns.

Nokia Siemens Networks won the Motorola business with a $1.2-billion bid, but reportedly let Motorola keep patents and some other assets to make up the gap with the Huawei offer. A British set-top equipment maker, Pace PLC, landed 2Wire with a $475-million bid.

Huawei came close to bidding on some Nortel Networks assets earlier this year, but backed off. Even with political opposition, Huawei, which has a growing Ottawa research operation, continues to take market share. The latest target could be the DragonWave franchise at Clearwire, the new alternative U.S. carrier. Reports say that Clearwire in the future could buy Huawei gear that uses different technology for the DragonWave portion of the business.

Briefs

Pacific Safety Products, the troubled Arnprior maker of bulletproof vests and other protective gear, is trying to raise $1 million to save the company. Stonehouse Management Capital, which helped block an earlier sale attempt and which owns 9.9 per cent of PSP, plans to buy $350,000 in securities. ... Trend Micro, the Japanese network security player that bought Third Brigade a year ago, is having a rough patch. Sales in the June quarter were down 3.5 per cent from a year ago and profits slid 21 per cent. ... QNX Software has appointed Derek Kuhn as vice-president of sales and marketing. He previously worked at Alcatel-Lucent as vice-president of emerging technologies. He is a Carleton University graduate. ... PharmaGap, an Ottawa company developing a potential cancer treatment, said trials at the National Research Council show that rats tolerate the treatment at dose levels sufficient to kill cancer cells.

More testing is planned to determine effective dose levels.

Read more: ottawacitizen.com

Loral Space posts 2Q loss on exchange rates

2010-08-11T11:41:00.000-07:00

Satellite manufacturer Loral Space & Communications Inc. posted a net loss during the second quarter, citing changes in foreign exchange rates at its Canadian business.

During the three months ended June 30, the company lost $19.7 million, or 66 cents per share. That compares with a profit of $74.3 million, or $2.48 cents per share, in the same quarter last year.

The company, which reported its results after the market close on Mon Monday, blamed the loss on a foreign exchange loss totaling $93 million tied to U.S.-denominated debt at Telesat Canada, a telecommunications operator in which Loral owns a 64 percent stake.

Revenue rose 3 percent to $280 million.

Shares fell 63 cents to $49.64 in afternoon trading on Tuesday. They have traded between $19.27 and $50.83 in the last 52 weeks.

Zombie satellite is eating internet connections

2010-08-11T11:35:00.000-07:00

A rogue satellite is causing major problems for Alaska's main telecommunications provider.

Bush communications which runs a satellite service for some 35,000 people in rural Alaska fears that many of them will lose service for hours at a time this week because of a "zombie" satellite that has wandered off course.

According to ADN The disruptions to GCI service are expected to begin Wednesday morning and continue until Saturday morning in blocks of time that will last 90 minutes to 5 1/2 hours, mostly in the morning and at night.

A spokeswoman for Intelsat, the Luxembourg-based company that operates the zombie satellite, says no conclusive cause has been determined. Some claim that it is due to the current solar storm.

She said that the Europeans were doing their best to keep the Alaskans informed about what was happening. However she did not indicate what steps it would be taking to fix the problem in the longer term.

The satellite's path is taking it in wide, north-south arcs as it approaches a different satellite GCI uses to provide phone and internet service to much of rural Alaska. When it gets too close to the "good" satellite, the rogue satellite is expected to disrupt the GCI signal.

Read more: techeye.net/

New Technology Brings African Nations Together

2010-08-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever, an operational satellite phone call was made from the African continent using the Inmarsat network. Zambian Colonel Wilson Tembo, African Union delegation chief, made an international call from the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College during Africa Endeavor (AE) 2010 in Accra on August 10, 2010. This call showcased the technology and ease of use of this new product.

"This was a significant moment for Imarsat. AE 2010 allowed us to demonstrate to more than 30 African nations the outstanding voice quality in a call to a cellular phone over our satellite network," said Steff Taylor, Inmarsat business development manager. "It proved the capability and applicability of the product that can now be used by African nations anywhere on the continent."

Inmarsat launched the IsatPhone Pro, which was used to make the call, in June 2010, and it was built for the Inmarsat network.

This is the first time Inmarsat has participated in Africa Endeavor and the company is providing equipment to the exercise and training to country delegates pro bono.

According to Taylor, the participation is part of the outreach that the company does and the exercise was an excellent opportunity to reach the African audience. This is one of many outreach projects the company does, providing free equipment and financial support to restore communications in disaster zones.

Throughout the exercise, Inmarsat representatives will be providing training to participants on satellite phones, as well as voice and data capability. There will be an opportunity to do real-time demonstrations of satellite communications during the second week of AE 2010.

One of the purposes of AE 2010 is to promote interoperability among the African nations, and this training and equipment at the exercise enables ease of communication.

Inmarsat has a current fleet of 11 satellites that provides seamless mobile voice and data communications around the world. Inmarsat enables users to make phone calls or connect to the internet whenever and wherever they need - on land, at sea or in the air.

Iridium reports growth in the second quarter 2010

2010-08-11T11:14:00.000-07:00

It seems that the episodes of financial crises in many parts of the world during the 2008-2010 have come to an end. Probably, the process of economic recovery is slow across all financial sectors, but the companies have started reporting financial growth.

Recently, Iridium Communications Inc., a mobile satellite communications company has declared its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2010. The company has reported growth in all its products line. The Total billable subscribers grew 16.8 percent, reaching approximately 383,000 up from approximately 328,000 at the end of the comparable quarter last year. The company has also reported sharp increase in Commercial service revenue from 13.8 percent to $45.5 million in the second quarter compared to $40.0 million during the second quarter of 2009. For the first half of the year, commercial service revenue was up 12.5 percent over the first half of 2009.

Iridium that has recently entered into long-term agreements with The Boeing Company for maintenance, operations and support of Iridium's satellite network has reported government voice and machine-to-machine (M2M) data service revenue increased 7.1 percent to $14.2 million in the second quarter compared to $13.3 million in the second quarter of 2009. For the first half of the year, government voice and M2M data service revenue was up 5.1 percent over the first half of 2009.

Due to a global parts supply issue that delayed some shipments to customers, to a change in the mix of equipment sales to lower- cost M2M devices, and to lower overall device pricing, the subscriber equipment revenue for the second quarter decreased to $20.3 million compared to $24.6 million in the second quarter of 2009. And in the first half of the year, subscriber equipment revenue was down 6.6 percent over the first half of 2009.

In the second quarter of 2009 the total revenue was $82.7 million and now it has reached to $84.0 million in the second quarter of 2010. For the first half of 2010, revenue increased 4.6 percent over the first half of 2009.

There is remarkable increase on the net income of the company. Net income for the second quarter was $3.2 million compared to net income of $28.6 million for the second quarter of 2009. For the first half of the year, net income was $1.9 million compared to $38.3 million in the first half of 2009, in part reflecting $11.8 million and $30.2 million, respectively, of non-cash expenses related to purchase accounting adjustments in those periods, net of tax, related to GHL Acquisition Corp.'s acquisition of Iridium Holdings LLC.

Beam-splitter comissioned for laser satellite communications

2010-08-10T16:15:00.000-07:00

Optical Surfaces has received an order from the German communications satelite building firm Tesat-Spacecom for a high performance, thermally stabilised beam expander. The beam expander will be used as part of the Tesat Optical System Test Bed for verification of the optical performance of their Laser Communication Terminals (LCTs).

Tesat's LCTs are the result of more than two decades of development expertise in the field of optical communications, and Tesat's broad knowledge of space systems production. The US Missile Defence Agency's NFIRE satellite, built by General Dynamics, and Germany's TerraSAR-X satellite both launched in mid-2007, each carrying a Tesat LCT. This equipment enables point-to-point data transfers with high data volume. .

Reflecting on their choice of supplier, Dr Andreas Weichert, responsible for the Tesat Optical System Test Bed, commented: 'Optical Surfaces was selected to produce the critical 10x beam expander for our Optical System Test Bed because of their impressive track record in preparing high performance optical systems for telescope and space projects. We were also very pleased with a previous beam expander supplied by Optical Surfaces in 2006.'

Using proprietary production techniques, Optical Surfaces' skilled craftsmen will produce two concave off-axis parabolic mirrors, with a combined wavefront accuracy of lambda/35rms, that form the principal optical elements of the common focus 10x beam expander. The excellent surface accuracy achieved during manufacturing will enable the beam expander to provide sustained high optical performance over the complete field of view (+/- 0.1° at large aperture). Manufactured in INVAR - the beam expander was designed be used in vacuum at 10-6 mbar and offers high thermal stability for thermal gradients that may be as much as 10°C along the length of the instrument.

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. Wins $1.8 Million Order for MIL-STD-188-165A Satellite Modems

2010-08-10T15:51:00.000-07:00

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. announced that its Tempe, Arizona-based subsidiary, Comtech EF Data Corp., received a $1.8 million order for its SLM-5650A Satellite Modems from the U.S. government to upgrade an existing satellite-based communications network.

The SLM-5650A Satellite Modem is compliant with the strict requirements defined in MIL-STD-188-165A, modem types I, II, IV, V and VI for applications on DSCS, WGS and commercial satellites. The order specified advanced options for the SLM-5650A that increase its bandwidth efficiency and flexibility, including the transmission security (TRANSEC) and Network Processor modules.

The TRANSEC module for the SLM-5650A Satellite Modem provides bulk AES-256 encryption/decryption in accordance with the FIPS-140-2 Level 2 specification. It encrypts all traffic sent over the air, including data traffic, overhead channel and Vipersat Management System messages.

The Network Processor module provides advanced IP features including routing, switching, Quality of Service, and Vipersat dynamic bandwidth control. The modems will be integrated with Comtech EF Data's Vipersat Management System (VMS), which is the engine that provides dynamic Single Carrier per Channel bandwidth management of the space segment.

Comtech EF Data Corp. manufactures a broad spectrum of satellite earth station communications products, including Satellite Modems, Bandwidth & Capacity Management, TCP/IP Performance Enhancement Proxies, Encapsulators, Receivers, Frequency Converters, Amplifiers, Transceivers and Terminals. All products meet or exceed the standards published by worldwide and regional satellite networks.

Honeywell to Provide Navigation Control for Argentina's First Geostationary Satellite

2010-08-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

Honeywell announced that it will provide the stability equipment for Argentina's first geostationary telecom satellite in a contract worth $2.4 million.

Honeywell's Reaction Wheel Assemblies (RWA) and Miniature Inertial Measurement Units (MIMU) are integral parts of the ARSAT-1 satellite's Attitude Control System.

"Honeywell is the only U.S. company selected in the competition for Argentina's first GEO satellite program," said Dave Douglass, Honeywell vice president of Space, Missiles and Munitions. "Honeywell's RWAs provide fine attitude control required by satellite communication networks."

The ARSAT-1 will be developed by the Empresa Argentina de Soluciones Satelitales S.A., Argentina's first geostationary satellite, scheduled to launch in 2012. The satellite will provide data, telephone and television transmission services for Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia.

Honeywell's RWA and momentum wheel assemblies (MWA) are reliable, lightweight solutions to a variety of momentum control needs, providing stability and attitude-control for small to very large, heavy spacecraft. RWAs and MWAs from Honeywell have accumulated more than 65 million hours of 100 percent successful on-orbit operation – the equivalent to more than 7,400 years of accumulated time on orbit – and have never caused a mission to end prematurely.

ARSAT is a company incorporated by the Argentine Government to develop geostationary orbital slots assigned to the Argentine Republic by means of telecommunications satellites developed and built in Argentina, and to operate them and provide all kind of satellite services, voice, data, audio and video, to customers across the Americas. Currently holding Argentine orbital slots 81 degrees West and 72 degrees West, ARSAT is providing service to customers using satellite capacity obtained through strategic and commercial agreements with global operators.

Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Honeywell's aerospace business is a leading global provider of integrated avionics, engines, systems and service solutions for aircraft manufacturers, airlines, business and general aviation, military, space and airport operations.

Thales Alenia Space Ships Three Second Generation Satellites to Globalstar

2010-08-10T15:37:00.000-07:00

Globalstar, a provider of mobile satellite voice and data services, has stated that they have authorized the acceptance of three second generation satellites from manufacturer Thales Alenia Space and they will be shipped immediately to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. From that location the satellites are to be launched into orbit aboard the Soyuz launch vehicle in October.

Officials with Globalstar have commented that the satellite delivery represents another tremendous milestone achievement and is the culmination of more than five years of planning and work by Globalstar and their satellite manufacturer Thales Alenia Space. Delivery of these satellites would not have been possible without the diligent efforts of all their technical, financing and insurance partners. The company has specifically acknowledged the tireless work and commitment of all of its highly skilled employees around the world, as well as those at Thales Alenia Space and Arianespace, who helped make the satellite delivery a reality.

The new satellites with help Globalstar deploy its new constellation that is intended to offer finest quality mobile satellite voice and fastest mobile satellite data services to commercial and government customers in more than 120 countries. The new constellation along with Globalstar’ SPOT products are supposed to place the company in a unique position from where it can offer the world's most extensive lineup of high quality mobile satellite services to the broadest range of customers around the globe.

Emmanuel Grave, head of telecommunications at Thales Alenia Space added that the delivery of the first satellites in the constellation is a major milestone for both Thales Alenia Space and their customer Globalstar. It reflects the close relationship that all their teams have developed throughout this program. With the delivery of the next three satellites at the end of August, and the launch of the first batch in the fall, Globalstar Second Generation will be entering service. They are very proud of their work on this program, and delighted to be able to ensure the satisfaction of their customer Globalstar.

Yahsat Subsidiaries Win TRA Licenses in United Arab Emirates

2010-08-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

Yahsat subsidiaries Al Yah Advanced Satellite Communications Services and Star Satellite Communications won licenses from the United Arab Emirates Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA).

Al Yah Advanced was issued a 10-year satellite services license, with Star receiving a 10-year satellite and broadcasting services license. While the Al Yah Advanced license is limited to providing telecoms services to the government, the Star license allows the company to provide a portfolio of telecommunications services such as turn-key telecoms solutions, broadband services and broadcasting services within the United Arab Emirates.

“The TRA strategy aims to widen the services and the packages offered in the market through satellite providers. We fully believe that fair competition is a fundamental factor to drive the market forward and to ensure resourcefulness. The telecom sector has witnessed massive changes within the last four years; we are aiming to position our country as a center for integrated telecommunications services. Issuing the licenses to Al Yah Advanced and Star will definitely add value to the telecom sector,” TRA Director General Mohamed Al Ghanim said in a statement.

In February, parent company Yahsat was awarded a satellite services license from the TRA to install, operate and manage its satellite and ground network in the United Arab Emirates.

Cobham Sea Tel® Sees And Tells All — Always-On (VSAT)

2010-08-10T15:26:00.000-07:00

If you're (floating and boating) in the maritime environment Cobham SATCOM's new Sea Tel XX10 marine stabilized antenna enables bandwidth conscious customers to enjoy the benefits of Always-On VSAT network.

The XX10 series is a lighter weight, easy-to-install, marine stabilized antenna system for broadband connectivity. Available in 40 inch (100cm) and 50 inch (125cm) reflector sizes, it is configured to be compatible with all Ku-Band frequencies. It is designed to meet some of the most stringent design specifications such as EN 60945, MIL STD 461, MIL STD 167-1 and IEC 60950. The XX10 will run with Sea Tel’s latest DAC (digital antenna controller), along with the latest generation electronics and software. The XX10 system is fully enabled to work with remote management devices to provide remote access, control and management of the system. The antenna will also be equipped with the proven Sea Tel stabilization system, isolating the antenna system from ship’s motion no matter how rough the sea state or weather conditions. The XX10 is available both in co polarization configuration for global customers and cross polarization configuration for regional customers.

The XX10 will enable Sea Tel dealers to offer a higher return on investment and reduced cost of ownership, with application specific products for their customers. Sea Tel is currently shipping this product worldwide.

Spacecom plunges as Amos runs low on fuel

2010-08-10T15:13:00.000-07:00

Shares of Spacecom Communication, operator of the Amos family of satellites, dropped over 6% in the last hour of trading yesterday on NIS 2 million in turnover, well above average.

The fall came after the company released a statement to the stock market saying its interim Amos-5i satellite is running out of fuel. Its resources will not last until the scheduled launch of the Amos-5 in June 2011.

Spacecom will be forced to find alternatives for African telecommunications customers serviced by Amos-5i. The firm estimated the financial damage at $12 million.

Amos-5i started life as AsiaSat 2 and Spacecom contracted for exclusive use of the satellite in January from AsiaSat so it could start providing service to Africa earlier.

Analyst Uri Licht of IBI investment house said Spacecom's strategy was to buy a satellite to use until the launch of Amos-5 and to build its business on the satellite. Since the Amos-5i failed too early, Spacecom will be forced to find other satellites and lease bandwith from them to serve existing customers.

Licht said he expects Spacecom to start building its African customer base for Amos-5 now, based on the alternatives to Amos-5i.

Asia Cell, CDN, Eutelsat and Alcatel Lucent confirmed to speak at Iraq Telecoms 2010

2010-08-10T15:01:00.000-07:00

The CWC Group announce the participation of Mr. Faruk Mustafa Rasool, Chairman of Asia Cell, at Iraq Telecoms 2010, taking place in Istanbul on 2 – 3 November 2010. He will be addressing the Iraqi mobile market issues, the role mobile services have in the stimulation of economic activities and how this is improving the lives of the Iraqi people.

Mr. Loay Almalaieka, Vice President Operations of CDN, has just confirmed he will be addressing one of the main topics for the Iraq Telecoms agenda: ‘Fiber, submarine cables, gateways’. CDN will also be hosting the extended lunch on the second day of the conference.
Mr. Ali Korur, Regional Sales & Marketing Director at Eutelsat, will address another major topic on this year’s programme: ‘Connecting Iraq's homes and businesses, via satellite and new satellite capacity over Iraq and the Middle East’.

Alcatel Lucent has also just confirmed their participation, addressing the topic: ‘What role will new technologies play in the economic and social development in Iraq?’
Other highlights include:
• The Cruise Tour on the Bosphorus River, hosted by Fast Iraq, with welcome remarks from the Managing Director of the Fast Iraq, Timothy Moore.
• The networking lunch on day one of the conference will be hosted by Zain, while Zain’s newly appointed Chief Executive Officer will outline Zain Iraq’s new policy as an opening keynote address on 2 November.

New telco selects Utilibill for billing and provisioning

2010-08-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

Retail and wholesale billing provisioning provider, Utilibill, has implemented its solution for newly-launched telecommunications provider, Indigo Telecom.

The billing and provisioning platform was integrated into the telco’s hybrid communications network. It combines voice and data mobile satellite, a dedicated virtual
private network (VPN) and point-of-presence (PoP) for IP data through the Thuraya mobile network.

Launched last month, Indigo claimed it can provide 100 per cent coverage across Australia.

Utilibill managing director, Morgan Duncan, said the partnership would broaden opportunities for both companies and predicts it would sign up tens of thousands of customers to its services in the first year of operation. “Now that we have integrated our system into this multi-billion dollar hybrid communications network we look forward to introducing Indigo Telecom’s products and services to our wholesale service providers,” Duncan said in a statement. “This is an exciting time for all Australians as this partnership provides a long-needed and competitively priced mobile communications service for businesses and industry operating in regional and remote areas.”

Utilibill anticipates Indigo will help the billing provider reach one million new customers in Australia.

American Aerospace - Echo From the Past

2010-08-10T14:58:00.000-07:00

Fifty years ago this week, the United States successfully launched the Echo 1A passive communications satellite into Earth orbit. The 100-foot diameter balloon was among the largest objects ever to orbit the Earth.

A plethora of earth-orbiting communication satellites provide for a global connectivity that is commonplace today. Such was not always the case. Roll the clock back a half-century and we find that a global communications satellite system was just a concept. However, keen minds would soon go to work and provide mankind with yet another tangible spaceage benefit.

Communications satellites are basically of two types; passive and active. A passive communications satellite (PCS) simply reflects signals sent to it from a point on Earth to other points on the globe. An active communications satellite (ACS) can receive, store, modify and/or transmit Earth-based signals.

The earliest idea for a PCS involved the use of an orbiting spherical balloon. The balloon was fabricated from mylar polyester having a thickness of a mere 0.5 mil. The uninflated balloon was packed tightly into a small volume and inserted into a payload canister preparatory to launch. Once in orbit, the balloon was released and then inflated to a diameter of 100 feet.

The system described above materialized in the late 1950?s as Project Echo. The Project Echo satellite was essentially a huge spherical reflector for transcontinental and intercontinental telephone, radio and television signals. The satellite was configured with several transmitters for tracking and telemetry purposes. Power was provided by an array of nickel-cadmium batteries that were charged via solar cells.

Echo 1 was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on Friday, 13 May 1960. However, the launch vehicle failed and Echo 1 never achieved orbit. Echo 1A (sometimes referred to as Echo 1) lifted-off from Cape Canveral's LC-17A at 0939 UTC on Friday, 12 August 1960. The Thor Delta launch vehicle successfully placed the 166-lb satellite into a 820-nm x 911-nm orbit.

An interesting characteristic of the Echo satellite was the large oscillation in the perigee of its orbit (485 nm to 811 nm) over several months. This was caused by the influences of solar radiation and variations in atmospheric density. While these factors are just part of the earth-orbital environment, their effects were much more noticeable for Echo due to the type's large surface area-to-weight ratio.

Echo 1A orbited the Earth until it reentered the Earth's atmosphere on Saturday, 25 May 1968. Echo 2 was a larger and improved version of Echo 1A. It measured 135-feet in diameter and weighed 547-lb. Echo 2 orbited the Earth between January of 1964 and June of 1969. Other than the Moon, both satellites were the brightest objects observable in the night sky due to their high reflectivity.

The Echo satellites served their function admirably. For a time, they were quite a novelty. However, progress on the ACS scene quickly relegated the PCS to obselescence. Today, virtually all communication satellites are of the ACS variety.

blog.seattlepi.com

Inmarsat’s iSatphone Pro: Satellite communication goes handheld

2010-08-10T14:49:00.000-07:00

Our mobile phones have become such an everyday part of our lives, it’s almost impossible to imagine what it would be like without one. Well, in the middle of the Atlantic on an oil rig would be a good place to start, or perhaps in deepest Amazonia or even up at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. Just spotting a ‘no service’ warning on our handsets are enough to raise the blood pressure levels a notch or two, hell it even happens in central London!

All that angst is now a thing of the past however, with the launch of Inmarsat’s first hand held satellite phone the ISatphone Pro. Once the sole domain of secret agents and government men in black, the satellite phone is now available to mere mortals, for a more than mortal price tag of between $500 – $600.

It’s splash proof, dust proof, shock resistant and able to withstand extreme temperatures from -20 up to plus 55 degrees centigrade. More than enough then for a typical day in the UK countryside. It is however aimed solely at the ‘remote environment market’ such as gas and oil engineering or the construction trade and with 8 hours talk and 100 hours stand by time, it will provide the kind of global portable communications access that has long been needed in those sectors, although as far as main stream public use is concerned, it is another stepping stone in the development of mass global communications.

It has Bluetooth connectivity (unique in this market), a high visibility colour display, text and email capability and a keypad designed to be used while you’re wearing gloves. It will be, as Inmarsat CEO Andrew Sakawaty bullishly predicts, “a game changer” for the industry. The benefits to users such as the military or remote engineering are obvious and while this all sounds very exciting and clearly a step up in mobile technology, the one thing missing so far is detailed information on call charges, something that, at the end of the day will prove crucial in such a competitive marketplace.

Gilat Satellite Q2 Loss Widens

2010-08-10T14:41:00.000-07:00

Internet Protocol based communication and networking products maker Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (GILT: News ) Tuesday reported a slightly wider loss for the second quarter, hurt mainly by a decline in revenues.

Net loss for the quarter was $1.33 million compared to loss of $1.20 million last year. On a per-share basis, loss remained unchanged at $0.03

Excluding share-based compensations, non-GAAP net loss was $0.93 million or $0.02 per share compared to $0.98 million or $0.02 per share last year.

Petah Tikva, Israel-headquartered Gilat's quarterly revenues declined to $51.79 million from $56 million in the comparable quarter a year ago.

SatMAX Offers Satellite Repeater to Science Applications International Corporation

2010-08-10T14:38:00.000-07:00

The development of satellite communications technology has provided wide range of choices in technology and service offerings to many industries. The high-quality transmissions in satellite communication systems offer effective, robust and reliable data communication service in military network.

To provide the next generation enhanced data communication service, Science Applications International Corporation has bought Alpha ECS Portable SatMAX satellite communications repeater system form SatMAX Corp, a provider of wireless, non-line-of-sight satellite communications products and services to the $46 billion ground-based satellite communications industry.

The SatMAX will be delivered to a U. S. military customer by SAIC (News - Alert). SatMAX patented repeater technology enables satellite communications users to quickly and easily make fully wireless voice and data communications from any non-line-of-sight location. SatMAX users will now be able to access dependable and uninterrupted wireless satellite communications.

SatMAX Corporation is dedicated to providing global wireless, non-line-of-sight, satellite voice and data communications links to government, military, and commercial and industrial customers. SatMAX satellite repeaters have been tested and proven with all major branches of the U. S. military and have been purchased by several major defense contractors. SatMAX equipment has also been used by the world's the largest, most prestigious oceanographic research institute as an integral component in identifying and quantifying global ocean warming issues.

SAIC is a scientific, engineering, and technology applications company that uses its deep domain knowledge to solve problems of vital importance to the nation and the world, in national security, energy and the environment, critical infrastructure, and health. The company's approximately 45,000 employees serve customers in the U.S. Department of Defense, the intelligence community, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, other U.S. Government civil agencies and selected commercial markets. Headquartered in McLean, Va., SAIC had annual revenues of $10.8 billion for its fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2010.

Valero, the Largest Independent Refiner in North America, Selects Spacenet as a Broadband Managed Services Provider for its Nationwide Wholesale Locations

2010-08-10T14:34:00.000-07:00

Spacenet Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. and a leading provider of broadband network solutions, announced today that it signed a contract with Valero to serve as a provider for broadband network managed services and offer connectivity to its nationwide branded wholesale locations. Valero, the largest independent refiner in North America and one of the nation's largest retail operators with approximately 5,800 retail and branded wholesale outlets in the US and the Caribbean, will be offering Spacenet's broadband communications services to support their primary retail applications and network backup.

Valero is leveraging Spacenet's satellite and DSL broadband managed services as well as its award winning Prysm Pro network appliance to support its retail applications. These applications include Internet/intranet access, point-of-sale and credit/debit transactions, ATM transactions, Automatic Tank Gauge (ATG), WiFi, store loyalty programs and video security. The upgraded network combines Spacenet's SkyEdge VSAT satellite platform and DSL Managed Services into a centrally managed, integrated platform that supports full PCI compliance. The new network supports faster speeds, advanced functionality and improved network availability to support expanding applications. In addition, Valero is leveraging Spacenet's Prysm Pro, which is a modular, scalable, off-the-shelf IP network appliance that offers unique features including hybrid switching between wireline and wireless technologies for business continuity and network backup. Additionally, the Prysm Pro appliance can be integrated with Spacenet's managed network services, providing access to a user-friendly web portal to enable simplified and centralized network management.

CapRock Announces New VSAT Services for North America Energy Market

2010-08-10T14:31:00.000-07:00

CapRock Communications, a subsidiary of Harris Corporation and a global provider of satellite communications to remote and harsh environments, today announced its new turnkey VSAT services designed specifically for the U.S. land drilling and Gulf of Mexico (GOM) production platform markets. The new suite of off-the-shelf services delivers distinctive equipment, service and support with all-inclusive pricing plans to provide remote drilling sites and shallow-water production platforms with broadband Internet, voice connectivity, corporate networking and real-time data.

The land drilling service, marketed under the name FieldAccess(TM), solves customers' requirements for quick VSAT orders, installations and rig moves by leveraging in-region field technicians. The service also enables predictable budgeting through flat rate service plans and unlimited contiguous U.S. long distance. FieldAccess' service is backed by CapRock's strong support capabilities, enabled by its self-owned and operated global infrastructure and four 24/7 Network Operations Centers (NOC) that provide support and service today to more than 2,000 customer sites.

CapRock also announced today its new service developed uniquely for the shallow water production market that is available as part of CapRock's full service portfolio of offshore energy solutions. Customers operating shallow-water production platforms now have access to voice and data communications that include CapRock's reliable service and support.

The new turkey managed VSAT services include terminal selection, satellite bandwidth, support including 24/7 NOC access, and a set of optional products and features. FieldAccess for the U.S. land drilling market and the production platform service for the GOM are both available immediately. The expansion of the services internationally is currently in development.

These new services build on the success of CapRock's existing managed VSAT services and DR-Series of pre-packaged disaster recovery solutions developed for the energy industry. Service will be provided by CapRock's award-winning, self-owned and operated infrastructure which contributed to the company receiving the top teleport operator of the year rating in 2008 by the World Teleport Association.

Arianespace Announces Launch Contracts For Intelsat-20 And GSAT 10 Satellites

2010-08-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

Leading international satellite operator Intelsat has chosen Arianespace to launch its Intelsat-20 satellite. Arianespace has announced that it has been chosen by Intelsat to launch the Intelsat-20 satellite during the second quarter of 2012.

Weighing 5,800 kg. at liftoff, Intelsat-20 will be boosted into geostationary transfer orbit by an Ariane 5 ECA from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

Intelsat-20 will be built by Space Systems/Loral and will provide at least 15 years of in-orbit service. Positioned at 68.5 degrees East, this high-power satellite will deliver a wide range of telecommunications, video, voice and data transmission services, enabling Intelsat to expand its global coverage in the C and Ku bands. It will replace the Intelsat-7 and Intelsat-10 satellites.

The launch is slated for the first quarter of 2012, using an Ariane 5 from the Guiana Space Center, Europe's Spaceport, in Kourou, French Guiana.

GSAT 10 will be the 15th ISRO satellite to use the European launcher. Starting with the Apple experimental satellite on Flight L03 in 1981, Arianespace has orbited 13 Indian satellites to date. Arianespace has another Indian satellite in its order book, INSAT 4G (GSAT-8).

GSAT 10 is designed, assembled and integrated by ISRO. Weighing about 3,425 kg. at launch, it has payloads for communications, navigation and broadcasting (DTH). Positioned at 83 degrees East, its primary payload comprises 12 Ku-band transponders, 12 C-band and 12 Extended C-band transponders. GSAT 10 coverage zone will include the entire Indian sub-continent. The satellite's design life exceeds 15 years.

Inmarsat announces £752m advanced satellite services investment

2010-08-09T16:26:00.000-07:00

UK satellite communications firm Inmarsat has announced a $1.2bn (£752m) investment in next generation satellite network services.
The primary investment is a contract with aerospace company Boeing for the manufacture of three 702HP Ka-band satellites.

The constellation formed by the three Inmarsat-5 satellites will enable Inmarsat to offer global coverage, and unparalleled bandwidth to customers in remote locations, said Inmarsat chief eexecutive Andrew Sukawaty.

The Ka-band satellites will be used to deliver Inmarsat's Global Xpress service, which will address growing markets in maritime, energy and government sectors, along with the developing aeronautical market.

Such bandwidths have aroused interest because of the postponement of government plans to rollout a UK-wide broadband network of 2Mbit/s to 2015.

Global Xpress will use Ka-band microwave frequencies of between 18 and 31GHz, which although faster and less expensive than current Ku-band (12-18GHz) frequencies, can be more vulnerable to signal quality issues.

Each Inmarsat-5 satellite can transmit 89 Ka-band beams. "These are capable of flexing capacity and enabling Inmarsat to adapt to shifting subscriber usage patterns over their projected lifetime of 15 years," said the company.Services will start in 2014.

Inmarsat also plans to spend £313m replacing its existing, lower bandwidth, L-band satellites over the next 11 years.
Inmarsat estimates the total cost of Inmarsat-5 and Global Xpress will be £752m over four and half years.

Inmarsat's latest half year financial results announced last week, showed revenue up 12 per cent at £358m, with profit before tax up 56 per cent to £85m.

KeyOn Acquires SouthWest Wireless Net

2010-08-09T16:23:00.000-07:00

Wireless satellite broadband provider KeyOn has acquired a major portion of SouthWest Wireless Net’s broadband assets from New Vision to help extend KeyOn’s network footprint in southwestern Minnesota.

KeyOn acquired SouthWest Wireless Net as part of its Rural UniFi acquisition initiative designed for independent wireless broadband companies. SouthWest Wireless Net is the fifth company acquired under this program in 2010.

“The purchase of SouthWest Wireless Net increases our footprint in Minnesota, adds to our top-line revenues and contributes positive EBITDA immediately. The transaction allows SouthWest’s parent company, New Vision Cooperative, to focus on its core grain, feed and agronomy businesses while confidently transitioning its wireless broadband customers to a leading and quality provider of wireless broadband service,” KeyOn Vice President of Corporate Development and General Counsel Jason Lazar said in a statement.

Spacecom Satellite Communications - Amos 5i satellite's fuel to run out early

2010-08-09T16:20:00.000-07:00

Spacecom Satellite Communications Ltd. announced that fuel on its interim Amos 5i communications satellite will run out before the Amos 5 satellite is launched. The company will report a $12 million loss in 2010-11 as a consequence on accelerated depreciation on the satellite and loss of profits.

The Amos 5i satellite was supposed to provide communications coverage of Africa until the Amos 5 becomes operational in mid-2011. The higher than expected usage of fuel means that the Amos 5i will not be able to provide continuous coverage for Spacecom's customers.

Spacecom said that it is seeking alternatives together with its customers to ensure continuous coverage until the Amos 5 becomes operational.

In contrast to the rest of Spacecom's Amos 5 communications satellites, which the company designs and launches itself, the Amos 5i was purchased from Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company (HKSE: 1135), which operated the satellite as the AsiaSat2. The Amos 5i is a 15-year old communications satellite, and was due to end its operational life in 2012.

Spacecom bought the Amos 5i from its own equity, reportedly for $45 million.

Shaul Elovitch's Eurocom Group owns 65.9% of Spacecom. Spacecom's share price fell 6.1% to NIS 69.50, giving a market cap of NIS 1.35 billion.

Champion Technology Services Selects Rugged Routers

2010-08-09T16:13:00.000-07:00

Champion Technology Services, Inc. has deployed Encore’s BANDIT™ line of IP+Legacy industrially hardened routers for satellite VPN solutions. By installing the BANDIT™ in substations throughout the Southwestern US, Champion has provided secure Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) communications over satellite for one of their large Gas and Oil utility customers.

Founded in 2000, industrial automation and control systems integrator, Champion Technology Services specializes in wireless communications, satellite networks and data management. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, Champion has offices throughout Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Utah and serves customers nationwide.

Encore’s patented Selective Layer Encryption (SLE) securely connects satellite networks with terrestrial Internet links as part of an end-to-end VPN solution. SLE allows Champion to provide their utility customer with complete security of all data transmitted between their processing facilities and control centers. The serial protocol to IP support capabilities in the BANDIT™ ensures the seamless migration of SCADA functions over their legacy network to a secure, encrypted satellite IP network.

ViaSat Announces First Quarter Results

2010-08-09T16:08:00.000-07:00

ViaSat Inc. VSAT, an innovator in satellite and other wireless networking systems and services, today announced financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2011. The fiscal first quarter results include new contract awards of $152.9 million, revenues of $192.0 million, Adjusted EBITDA of $37.6 million and non-GAAP diluted net income attributable to ViaSat common stockholders of $0.23 per share, or $0.08 per share on a diluted GAAP basis. Included in these first quarter results was a pre-tax expense of $8.5 million, or $0.12 per share, resulting from an increase in estimated costs on a government satellite communications development program.

ViaSat produces innovative satellite and other digital communication products that enable fast, secure, and efficient communications to virtually any location. The company provides networking products and managed network services for enterprise IP applications; is a key supplier of network-centric military communications and encryption technologies and products to the U.S. government; is the primary technology partner for gateway and customer-premises equipment for consumer and mobile satellite broadband services; and owns WildBlue, the premier Ka-band satellite broadband service provider. ViaSat also offers design capabilities and a number of complementary products including monolithic microwave integrated circuits and modules, DVB-S2 satellite communication components, video data link systems, data acceleration and compression, and mobile satellite antenna systems. Based in Carlsbad, CA, ViaSat includes a number of worldwide locations for customer service, network operations, and technology development.

Cisco Completes Testing of IRIS Satellite Router

2010-08-09T15:17:00.000-07:00

Cisco’s Internet Routing in Space (IRIS) technology, a program to build a radiation-tolerant IP router for satellite and related spacecraft, has achieved another major milestone with the successful completion of in-orbit testing for the United States’ Department of Defense.

The IRIS router supports network services for voice, video and data communications, helping enable government agencies, military units and allied forces to communicate with one another using IP and existing ground equipment. This offers several enhancements over conventional satellite technology and eliminates the need to send data to and from an extra ground station, which can be expensive and time-consuming.

The IRIS Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) is a Department of Defense (DoD) demonstration program managed by a Cisco-led Industry Management Team that included Intelsat (News - Alert) General. It is the first commercially-sponsored JCTD and represents a new model for closer collaboration between government and industry.

During the JCTD evaluation, IRIS services were tested by US DoD and global governmental users in real-world scenarios, both on land and at sea. In each instance, IRIS was able to provide on-demand connectivity and enhance the mission effectiveness of these users. The JCTD evaluation also featured real-time collaboration applications over satellite including virtual private networks and video and file transfers.

Following this JCTD completion, the IRIS payload is undergoing extended commercial and government testing for up to 12 months to demonstrate its viability for additional applications for the at-large satellite networking ecosystem.

Cisco successfully completed the in-orbit test of its IOS software’s networking capabilities and their on-board router.

The software on the IRIS router and onboard modem can be upgraded in orbit, which increases flexibility and the return on investment. IRIS runs Cisco IOS (Internetworking Operating System) software. IRIS leverages billions of dollars in Cisco IOS R&D and integrates seamlessly with Cisco ground routers, creating a converged, multiservice space and ground network. IRIS extends the Internet into Space as it can directly exchange routing updates with Cisco ground routers, which increases the flexibility of the satellite network.

Quake Global Expands Its ORBCOMM Related Business

2010-08-09T15:12:00.000-07:00

ORBCOMM Inc., a global satellite data communications company focusing on two-way Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications and a leading provider of space-based Automatic Identification System (AIS) services, announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell the assets of Stellar Satellite Communications LTD., a wholly-owned subsidiary that sells satellite hardware, to Quake Global, Inc., a leading manufacturer of M2M based satellite and terrestrial communicators.

Through this acquisition and the planned continuation of Stellar's operations in Dulles, Virginia, QUAKE(TM) will establish an East Coast office. This will enable QUAKE, whose headquarters are in San Diego, to expand and improve its customer service and sales efforts. Stellar's strong presence products tailored to the transportation and trailer tracking markets will open new market segments for QUAKE.

Polina Braunstein, President & CEO of Quake Global said: "Adding Stellar's catalog of ORBCOMM modems to the already extensive line of QUAKE communicators will strengthen our long-standing relationship with ORBCOMM and will reinforce QUAKE's position as the leader among satellite M2M device manufacturers.The integration of the personnel and engineering talents of these two very experienced companies that were pioneers in the manufacture of satellite subscriber communicators will work to develop a new generation of smart modems poised to take full advantage of the next generation of satellites that are on the near horizon."

"We highly value our long-standing partnership with Quake Global and believe it is the best fit for Stellar and its customers," said Marc Eisenberg, CEO of ORBCOMM. "QUAKE's renowned track record for developing cutting edge modem technology and for supplying highly reliable, industrial grade hardware to the marketplace, have helped to propel ORBCOMM into the dynamic global satellite network it is today. Stellar's leadership position in transportation and cargo tracking is an excellent complement to QUAKE's success in heavy equipment and OEM telematics."

Iridium lines up funding for Next LEO satellite constellation

2010-08-09T15:03:00.000-07:00

Iridium Communications announced that it received "in excess of $1.8 billion of commitments from a syndicate of preeminent international banks" in connection with the credit facility that will be used to finance the construction of the company’s next-generation satellite constellation, Iridium Next.

Thales Alenia Space is the prime contractor for the project, which consists of 81 low-earth orbiting communications satellites with first launch in early 2015. Iridium expects to sign the credit facility in September and close shortly thereafter.

In May Iridium announced an agreement with JetBlue Airways' subsidiary LiveTV to develop an aviation antenna enabling global connectivity for airline passengers and flight crew. The antenna is "based on the Iridium OpenPort high-speed communications service" for the maritime sector. Commercial rollout is expected early in 2011. The solution provides up to 128 kbps and three voice channels.

SatMAX Delivers Satellite Repeater to SAIC

2010-08-09T11:37:00.000-07:00

SatMAX Corporation, a leading global provider of wireless, non-line-of-sight satellite communications products and services to the $46 billion ground-based satellite communications industry, announced that Science Applications International Corporation has taken delivery on an Alpha ECS Portable SatMAX(R) satellite communications repeater system. The SatMAX(R) equipment purchased by SAIC will be re-delivered to a U. S. military customer.

SatMAX(R) patented repeater technology enables satellite communications users to quickly and easily make fully wireless voice and data communications from any non-line-of-sight location. Historically limited by the requirement for satellite communications to have line-of-sight access to orbiting satellites, with SatMAX users now have the ability to access dependable and uninterrupted wireless satellite communications.

Inmarsat UK Brings 50Mb Satellite Internet and TV

2010-08-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

Inmarsat, a UK broadband ISP and communications operator, has announced the signing of a major new contract with Boeing for the delivery of three state-of-the-art Ka-Band (702HP) satellites. The new additions are capable of offering live television and "super-fast" internet download speeds of up to 50Mbps (Megabits per second) to both ships at sea and airliners.

The satellites will make up a new Inmarsat-5 (I-5) constellation and should enter operation sometime in 2014, forming part of the groups new Global Xpress™ network. The service will cost £750m ($1.2bn) to develop and target an £880m (US$1.4bn) incremental market for VSAT services.

Boeing itself will become a key distribution partner for Inmarsat's Ka-band and L-band satellite services, committing itself to a capacity purchase for over 10% of the target Ka-band revenues. Inmarsat has set its target at £314m (US$500m) for five years after the new service is launched.

The move represents a significant upgrade for Inmarsat, which currently offers the only simultaneous global voice and 0.5Mbps data service available anywhere on the planet, using satellite terminals the size of laptops.

U.S. Department of Defense has launched Wideband Global SATCOM communications satellite.

2010-08-08T16:42:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Department of Defense has launched its third WGS (Wideband Global SATCOM) communications satellite, and got it working. This happened three year after the first one went into orbit, and six years after the first one was supposed to go up. The third WGS bird was actually launched last December, but only officially entered service on August 2nd, after months of checkouts and testing. The WGS is a six ton satellite with a traffic handling capacity of 3.6 gigabits a second.

WGS originally stood for "Wideband Gapfiller Satellite" and they are actually modified versions of the Boeing 702 communications satellite. Boeing has built or has orders for over 20 of the commercial 702s, which are built on the earlier, and very successful, 600 series communications satellites. Using the 702 as a model for WGS seemed like a slam-dunk initially, basing needed military commo birds on a solid civilian model. A few tweaks and additions to deal with military security needs, and off we go. The Department of Defense wants to build six WGS birds, at a cost of some $220 million each. The WGS has ten times the throughput (3.6 gigabits) of the earlier DSCS III commo satellites. The first WGS bird in orbit more than doubled the transmission capacity of the Department of Defense satellite system.

There is a growing need for more commo birds. Between 2000 and 2002, Department of Defense satellite bandwidth (data transmission demand) doubled, and more than doubled every 18 months after that. Back in 2000, some 60 percent of Department of Defense satellite capacity had to be leased from commercial firms. While the Department of Defense had its own communications satellite network (MILSAT), it underestimated the growth of demand. Greater use of the internet and reconnaissance aircraft and UAVs using video cameras quickly used up MILSATs capacity and forced the military to lease capacity on commercial satellites. This was done on the "spot market," meaning the Department of Defense had to pay whatever the market would bear at that moment. Since the military needed more capacity because of combat operations, the media was also in the market for more capacity to cover the war. The Department of Defense paid more than ten times as much as it would have if it had leased (for one to fifteen years) satellite capacity earlier. The situation was made worse by the fact that it was an emergency situation, so every heavy user of satellite communications was making their own deals. This resulted in some users (air force, or, say, the Atlantic Fleet) having some extra capacity when someone else, like Army Special Forces, was still short.

It was only two decades ago that the U.S. armed forces moved to satellite communications in a big way. This made sense, especially where troops often have to set up shop in out of the way places and need a reliable way to keep in touch with nearby forces on land and sea as well as bases and headquarters back in the United States. At the time of the 1991 Gulf War, there was enough satellite military communications capacity (commonly known as "bandwidth") in the Persian Gulf for about 1,300 simultaneous phone calls. Or, 12 megabits per second. But while the military has a lot more satellite capacity now (the exact amount is a secret), demand has increased even faster. UAV reconnaissance aircraft use enormous amounts of satellite capacity. The Global Hawk needed 500 megabits per second, and Predators about half as much. The major consumer of bandwidth is the live video. Thus data transmission capability (“bandwidth”) has gone from 46 megabits (million bytes) per second in late 2001, just for troops in CENTCOM (the Middle East and Afghanistan), to nearly ten giga (billion) bits per second now. Thus the rush to get those WGS birds up.

Attempts to get capacity from civilian satellites was complicated by the fact that there was a shortage there as well. This was created by the tremendous overbuilding of fiber optic cable networks on the ground (and under oceans) in the late 1990s. This provided cheaper bandwidth for civilian uses and has meant fewer communications satellites being put up. In fact, the fiber optic glut reduced planned satellite launches by some 60 percent for the first few years of this decade.

The solution was the WGS birds, with the first supposed to launch in 2004. But there were design problems, manufacturing problems, and scheduling problems getting an American launcher (having a Russian or Chinese rocket put these birds into orbit was not an option, for security reasons.) These problems have been solved, with three WGS birds launched in the last three years, and the other three in the next three years That will provide more capacity, but still not be enough.

The latest Ariane 5 success reinforces Arianespace's launch services leadership

2010-08-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

Arianespace performed its third Ariane 5 flight of 2010 to orbit another dual-satellite payload and also announced two new contracts – further underscoring the company’s leadership role in the commercial launch services sector.

The Ariane 5’s evening mission from the Spaceport successfully orbited two satellites that will provide telecommunications services to Africa, the Middle East and Persian Gulf states: NILESAT 201 for Egyptian-based Nilesat, and RASCOM-QAF1R for the Pan-African satellite operator, RascomStar-QAF. Both spacecraft were built by Thales Alenia Space.

During today’s mission, the heavy-lift Ariane 5 delivered an estimated total payload lift performance of 7,085 kg., which included 6,250 kg. for the NILESAT 201 and RASCOM-QAF1R satellites, plus their integration hardware and the SYLDA 5 dual-payload dispenser system.

Ariane 5's mission with NILESAT 201 and RASCOM-QAF1R was performed from the Spaceport’s ELA-3 launch zone.
Ariane 5 confirms its accuracy with an on-target delivery

Following its daytime liftoff from the Spaceport, the Ariane 5 provided another highly accurate payload delivery, with the following provisional orbital parameters for the injection of its cryogenic upper stage:

- Perigee: 248.4 km. for a target of 248.4 km.
- Apogee: 35,923 km. for a target of 35,919 km.
- Inclination: 2.00 deg. for a target of 2.00 deg.

NILESAT 201 was released first in the flight sequence, being deployed from the top of Ariane 5’s payload “stack” at just under 29 minutes into the mission. With a liftoff mass of about 3,200-kg., the satellite carries 24 Ku-band and 4 Ka-band transponders, and is to be positioned at an orbital slot of 7 deg. West. It will provide direct television broadcasting for the Middle East, Africa and Gulf states, and also has the relay capability to open new markets such as broadband Internet access.

RASCOM-QAF1R was the second payload that Arianespace has launched for RASCOM (the Regional African Satellite Communications Organization), which was created in the 1990s to implement, operate and maintain the space segment of an African telecommunications satellite system.

The RASCOM-QAF1R platform weighed approximately 3,050 kg. at liftoff and is to be operated from an orbital position of 2.85 degrees East. It is designed to deliver communications services to rural parts of Africa, including long-distance domestic and international links, direct TV broadcasts and Internet access.

Thales Alenia Space and Globalstar - three heading for upward mobility,45 to go

2010-08-06T15:29:00.000-07:00

The first three satellites in the Globalstar 2G constellation are ready to be shipped from Thales Alenia Space facilities to the launch site. They will be orbited by Arianespace on a Soyuz launcher in October from Baikonour, along with three other satellites in the first launch batch, to be delivered by the end of August.

Globalstar contracted Thales Alenia Space for the design and delivery of 48 second-generation constellation low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites that will provide mobile phone and data satellite services. These satellites are now under construction at various Thales Alenia Space facilities in France and Italy. The payloads are built in Toulouse; the thermal subsystems and structures in Cannes; part of the side panels in Turin; several payload electronics units are developed and manufactured in L’Aquila; and Madrid where also are manufactured several microwave passive devices; the L-band antennas are produced in Rome and the onboard computer (OBPE) and part of the GPS receiver in Milan. Thales Alenia Space is also responsible for launch support services.

The new constellation will ensure continuation of Globalstar’s coverage beyond 2025, as well as offering a platform for expanded service and innovative solutions. Each 2G Globalstar satellite will weigh about 700 kg and offer end-of-life power of 1.7 kW, and is fitted with 16 transponders from C- to S-band, and 16 receivers from L- to C-band. Beginning in October 2010, the satellites will be launched in batches of six at a time. They have a design life of 15 years.

Thales Alenia Space played a major role in Globalstar’s first-generation program, as supplier of the satellite payloads, structures, propulsion and thermal subsystems, and several electronics units, as well as systems integration of the entire constellation, including an additional eight satellites launched in mid-2007. Thales Alenia Space’s long-term partnership with Globalstar, along with another major contract recently signed in this domain, clearly demonstrate the company’s leadership in constellations, based on proven expertise in system design and telecommunications technologies in general.

JLT Aerospace secures ARABSAT satellite launch deal

2010-08-06T15:23:00.000-07:00

JLT Aerospace, has been appointed by ARABSAT to work alongside Marsh in developing a bespoke insurance package for a multi-satellite launch programme.

ARABSAT was set up in 1976 by member states of the Arab League and has since become a leading satellite service provider to the Arab world, currently ranking among the top ten operators globally.

Commenting on the deal, JLT’s global head of space, Peter Elson, says: “This is a fantastic opportunity and a tremendous coup for JLT Aerospace.”

The first launch in the programme, which is scheduled for next year, involves a satellite manufactured by EADS and Thales on board an Ariane launch vehicle.

Assuming all goes well the satellite will take up a geostationary orbital slot 36,000 kilometres above the equator.

Nigeria Communication Satellite Can Save 25% Of N74b

2010-08-06T15:18:00.000-07:00

As the controversy over the N74 billion estimated by Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to conduct 2011 election continued, the Nigeria Communication Satellite (NICOMSAT), yesterday announced that at least 25 per cent of the total amount could be saved using the smart card developed by the agency.

The Managing Director of NICOMSAT, Mr. Ahmed Rufai, who disclosed this to some journalists in Abuja, said his agency has full complement of an electronic voting system and a modified electronic ballot box that cannot be shattered or snuffed, and capable of registering the entire populace within one month.

Rufai, however, stated that instead of going for 120,000 unites of the Direct Data Capturing Machines (DDC) as proposed by INEC, NICOMSAT can solve the problem with only 5,000 units of smart card, adding that his agency can also provide the DDC using Zinox as an indigenous technology to get the software installed in a computer.

His words: "It is about the scope, somebody can mention figure. The only thing I can say is that there is no way we will not save cost at least 20-25per cent using our own e-voting system. In our own proposal, we don't need more than 5,000 units against 120,000 units mentioned by INEC.

"What we calculated is 4,000 units, which mean that in every local government, we will have a minimum of about 5 points and you can capture about 200 voters everyday. By individual in a month, we will be able to capture 180,000 voters in LGA. In one month you can capture the whole nation using 4,000 units of smart card,” he stated.

A few limits, but satellite no pie in the sky

2010-08-06T15:10:00.000-07:00

Satellite communication was once a marvel of technological ingenuity - and then it wasn’t, or at least to the majority of the population that took to the ease of mobile phones and wireless broadband.

But Indigo Telecom Australia thinks satellite telephony still has a place in a vast and mostly empty continent.

The company’s backers have calculated that more than a million Australians either live outside the footprint of a conventional mobile phone network, or regularly work or play in the 72 per cent of the land mass with mobile coverage.

Key to Indigo’s pitch is that satellite comms isn’t what it used to be: a technology that was hampered by bulky handsets, echoing and stilted conversations, and hefty costs.

Rural Press spent a few days with Indigo’s standard handset, the Thuraya XT, and found that satellite telecommunications have definitely advanced, but also continue to carry some of the technology’s limitations.

The splash-, shock- and dust-resistant Thuraya XT couldn’t be described as svelte, but nor is it monstrous -about the same width as Telstra’s rugged “rural” phones, the 165i and T90, but about 10cm taller and 3-4mm deeper. Pocketable, if you have big pockets.

The body is robust, but without the tough-guy rubber design touches that some gadgets, including Telstra’s “tough” phones, use to signify toughness.

But in a sign that the Thuraya XT is indeed “toughened”, all the phone’s external ports, like the USB and battery charger connections, are covered with rubber seals.

The keyboard layout is standard-issue, and will be instantly recognisable to most mobile phone users - particularly those familiar with Nokia phones, which seem to have inspired many of the keyboard and menu conventions.

The only flaw with the keyboard is common to many of today’s mobiles: the keys are so small that big fingers will find it all too easy to hit multiple buttons.

The menu system is straightforward, and includes mobile phone basics like calendar and contact book, plus a GPS module.

Globalstar Activates Record Number of Spot Units as Customer Base Grows to Over 412,000

2010-08-06T15:07:00.000-07:00

Globalstar continued to differentiate itself from other mobile satellite providers by growing its retail consumer market success and activating approximately 17,500 SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger(TM)units.

Company announced launch milestones for its second generation satellite constellation with first launch scheduled in October of this year -- Globalstar and Arion Communication Co. Ltd., completed a joint venture agreement to provide Globalstar products and services in South Korea and portions of southeast Asia. Total revenue for the quarter increased by over 12 percent compared with the same period three-month period in 2009.

Mitec Telecom Wins First in a Series of Orders

2010-08-06T15:01:00.000-07:00

For its new MTX series VSAT Block Upconverter, Mitec Telecom Inc., a premier designer and manufacturer of mobile wireless, fixed wireless, broadcast and satellite components, announced it has received the first in a series of orders from a large network operator.

In Q2, fiscal 2011, the deliveries are expected to take place whereas the additional orders are expected from this customer throughout the year.

Mitec officially launched this new series of products in Q4, fiscal 2009. It also began to phase out its legacy line of WTX Series Block Upconverters. The MTX product line, following significant investment in R&D and marketing, has differentiated Mitec from its competition.

Currently, the customer is busy working for a network expansion project in Africa, where there is significant demand for 2-way satellite communication to support the growth of multimedia, voice and data services in geographically challenging areas.

Consistent revenues quarter over quarter are generally demonstrated by Mitec's VSAT division because network build-outs are planned well in advance and operators consider Mitec's components the backbone of these expansion projects. As a result of the performance standard that the new MTX product line established in the market, this order was generated.

With the launch of these new products, which have generated better than anticipated interest and have been accepted as the industry standard going forward, Mitec expects continued success.

Federal Communications Commission scraps Internet neutrality talks

2010-08-06T14:58:00.000-07:00

The Federal Communications Commission suspended its weeks-long series of talks with Internet providers on Net neutrality, dealing a blow to efforts to produce a deal that the agency could take to Congress.

The decision to cut off negotiations marks a major political setback for Chairman Julius Genachowski, whose office reached out to stakeholders six weeks ago to strike an agreement and avoid a public battle over rules that would treat all users’ Web traffic equally.

But the end to industry discussions — which a source close to the FCC talks blamed entirely on news that Google and Verizon separately sought some form of net neutrality agreement — could now force the FCC to take a more aggressive approach to solidifying its broadband authority.

FCC chief of staff Edward Lazarus stressed in a briefly worded statement that the agency has no plans to back down on Net neutrality, months after a federal court in a case involving Comcast essentially nullified much of the agency’s broadband authority.

At first, the FCC had signaled it hoped to avoid that contentious process by brokering an agreement with key industry players — including Verizon, AT&T, Google, Skype, a cable association and the Open Internet Coalition, a group of Internet companies, such as Amazon, and public interest groups including Free Press.

If successful, the talks could have led to a road map for lawmakers, many of whom were left uneasy by the FCC's push to use its own rule-making process to solidify its broadband authority.

From the beginning, there was much consternation over the private meetings. Many stakeholders, especially the consumer advocate community, felt left out of the discussions. The secretive talks also excluded the other FCC commissioners and left some in the tech community feeling as if major companies were defining the future of the Internet without their input.

Inmarsat Seeks Ex-Im Backing for Satellite Deal

2010-08-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

Inmarsat is seeking U.S. Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank backing for a financial package valued at about $500 million to cover the London-based company’s three-satellite contract with Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems.

In an interview, Inmarsat Chief Executive Andrew Sukawaty said he expects negotiations with the export-credit agency to conclude one way or another by the end of the year. He reiterated that Inmarsat, which provides mobile satellite services worldwide, has access to sufficient capital for the $1.2 billion Global Xpress project without Export-Import Bank support.

Boeing will deliver the first of three 702HP Ka-band satellites being built for Inmarsat in 36 months, with the other two to be ready at six-month intervals after that, Boeing officials said Aug. 6.

Boeing officials declined to disclose the throughput of the satellites but said each will provide 12 kilowatts of power at the end of its 15-year life. Unlike the Boeing-built Spaceway 3 Ka-band broadband satellite operated by Hughes Communications of Germantown, Md., the three Inmarsat satellites will be so-called bent-pipe designs that do include on-board processing.

Each satellite will have 89 fixed spot beams and weigh about 6,000 kilograms at launch.

Boeing will be leveraging its work providing the U.S. Air Force Wideband Global Satcom spacecraft as it builds the Inmarsat Global Xpress satellites, said Craig R. Cooning, general manager of Boeing Defense and Intelligence Systems of El Segundo, Calif.

Three WideBand Global Satcom satellites are in orbit, with three more in production. In a conference call with reporters, Cooning said more than 20 702HP satellite platforms of the kind to be used by Inmarsat are already in orbit.

Boeing has agreed to purchase 10 percent of the Global Xpress satellite capacity for the first five years of the system’s operations, or through 2018 under the current schedule.

Thales Alenia Space - third telecom satellite Egypt

2010-08-06T11:10:00.000-07:00

Egypt's newest communication satellite, designed and built by Thales Alenia Space on an AS Spacebus 4000 platform, was launched from France's Centre Spatial Guyanais space facility in French Guiana aboard a B2 Ariane 5 rocket. The rocket also carried a RascomStar-QAF's Rascom-QAF1R telecommunications satellite, also produced by Thales Alenia Space.

According to Egyptian Information Minister Anas al-Fiqi, the new satellite will augment Egypt's current 560 satellite channels by another 500, with the platform's broadcast footprint covering not only Egypt but the entire Middle East, southern Europe, Sudan and upstream Nile nations as well.

Thales Alenia Space Executive Vice President for Telecom activities Emmanuel Grave said, "This launch is an important milestone for the African continent as both satellites will provide Direct TV and radio broadcasting services as well as Internet access and value-added broadband services."

Starting next month, Nilesat 201 will give Egyptian satellite operator NILESAT the ability to deliver digital Direct to Home (DTH) TV, IPTV, HDTV and 3D channels, radio broadcasting and high-speed data transmission services to 40 million subscriber households in both North Africa and the Middle East. Nilesat 201 is fitted with 24 Ku-band and four Ka-band transponders and will broadcast from a geosynchronous orbit at an altitude of about 22,245 miles at 7 degrees West longitude and has a design life of 15 years. Uplink stations in Cairo, Dubai, Amman, Doha, Riyadh and Beirut will provide wide coverage.

Fiqi said: "This new satellite offers a tremendous opportunity to increase the availability on broadcasting and communications services in Egypt. We Egyptians are already proud to have one of the most diverse and vibrant media landscapes in the region, with over 500 independent newspapers, magazines and journals in the printed press alone. The Nilesat 201 will help us to bring even more choice and quality of media to the Egyptian people."

Comtech receives order for $ 2.9 million

2010-08-06T10:54:00.000-07:00

Comtech Telecommunications Corp., has received $2.9 million of orders from a domestic prime contractor to supply broadband, solid state, high-power integrated amplifier systems.

Officials with Comtech said that these systems, which include the latest solid state transistor and switching technology and provide for very broad frequency coverage, are key components in radio signal jamming systems manufactured by our customer.

“Comtech PST continues its success and recognition as a premier supplier of solid state, high-power amplifier systems to the worldwide electronic warfare marketplace,” said Fred Kornberg, president and CEO of Comtech Telecommunications Corp. in a statement.

Kornberg said that this is another important set of orders for Comtech PST as it affirms the customers’ confidence in Comtech as a high volume manufacturer of high-power integrated amplifier systems.

Comtech PST Corp. is an independent supplier of broadband, high-power, high performance RF microwave amplifiers for use in a broad spectrum of applications including defense, medical, satellite communications systems and instrumentation.

In January, Comtech EF Data another subsidiary of Comtech Telecommunications Corp. that develops satellite communication products, received a $1.3 million order for satellite communications equipment. According to the company officials, a leading telecommunications operator will install Comtech’s bandwidth-efficient satellite modems to allow for cellular backhaul network expansion in South America, a region that is experiencing significant satellite bandwidth shortages.

Nilesat 201 and Rascom-QAF1R

2010-08-06T10:38:00.000-07:00

The third Ariane 5 mission in 2010 successfully launched on august a pair of Thales Alenia Space-produced satellites: Nilesat 201 and Rascom-QAF1R on August.

Nilesat 201 will be utilised by Egyptian satellite operator Nilesat to deliver digital Direct-to-Home TV and radio broadcasting – along with high-speed data transmission services – to North Africa and the Middle East.

Rascom-QAF1R will ensure service continuity for its operator, RascomStar-QAF, providing African access to advanced communications and information technologies – in particular rural telephony.

“This was the 38th consecutive launch success for Ariane 5,” said Arianespace chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall. “Since the start of 2010, we already have launched six large telecommunications satellites – which, I want to underscore – is more than all our competitors combined.”

Le Gall also detailed the company’s two new launch contracts: GSAT 10 for the Indian Space Research Organization and Intelsat-20 for Intelsat.

Boeing - Contract from Inmarsat

2010-08-06T10:13:00.000-07:00

Boeing announced that it has received a contract from Inmarsat to build three Ka-band satellites to add to Inmarsat's current mobile satellite services fleet. Financial details were not disclosed.

The fixed-price contract, with options, calls for three 702HP commercial spacecraft with 89 Ka-band beams that will operate in geosynchronous orbit with flexible global coverage. The new satellite series, called Inmarsat-5, draws on Boeing's four decades of experience gained from the production of more than 175 commercial communications satellites and its extensive expertise in Ka-band satellite communications systems.

"This contract represents a best-value solution that combines Boeing's unmatched commercial satellite heritage and Ka-band satellite communications experience to meet Inmarsat's satellite requirements," said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems. "Boeing has produced more Ka-band satellite communications systems than any other manufacturer, and we are currently producing the Wideband Global SATCOM satellite series, which is the primary Ka-band system for the U.S. government. We are committed to a successful partnership with Inmarsat for this newest addition to their service fleet."

The Boeing satellites will provide Inmarsat with the ability to adapt to shifting subscriber usage patterns of high data rates, specialized applications and evolving demographics over a projected 15-year lifetime. In a separate arrangement, Boeing has also entered into a distribution partnership with Inmarsat to provide L- and Ka-band capacity to key users within the U.S. government.

Inmarsat - Investment in Next Generation Ka-Band Satellite Network

2010-08-06T10:03:00.000-07:00

Global Services to iPad-sized AntennasInmarsat, the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, announced that it has agreed a contract with The Boeing Company ("Boeing") for the delivery of three state-of-the-art 702HP Ka-band satellites. The Inmarsat-5 constellation will enable Inmarsat to provide a unique global high speed mobile broadband service offering.

With operations expected to start in 2014, Inmarsat-5 will support a next generation global service, Global Xpress, which will target a $1.4bn incremental market opportunity in VSAT services. Global Xpress will address the established, growing markets for VSAT services in the Maritime, Energy and Government sectors, with further growth potential in developing markets such as the Aeronautical sector. Global Xpress will deliver seamless global coverage and unprecedented mobile broadband with speeds up to 50MB/s, to customer terminals from 20-60cm in size.

Inmarsat will target $500m of annual Ka-band revenues 5 years after global service launch. Under a separate arrangement, Boeing has agreed to become a distribution partner for both Inmarsat's Ka- and L-band services and has pre-committed to capacity purchases representing more than 10% of Inmarsat's target Ka-band revenues in the first five years after global service launch.

Inmarsat estimates that the total cost of Inmarsat-5 and Global Xpress will be $1.2bn over 4.5 years, incorporating the fixed cost of the satellites, as well as the cost of additional ground network infrastructure, product development, launch services and insurance.

O3b Selects Europe Media Port as its First Gateway Teleport Operator

2010-08-05T14:17:00.000-07:00

O3b Networks Ltd. (O3b) announced the selection of Europe Media Port (EMP) - the world’s fastest growing teleport in 2009 according to the World Teleport Association - to be the first provider of Gateway Teleport services for O3b’s global network. This long term agreement allows for the provision of a range of services for O3b from the Nemea Teleport in Greece. Through this location, O3b will link its reliable Gigabit IP network connectivity and bandwidth services to clients located in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. The Nemea, Greece Teleport is the first of multiple Teleport sites to be located worldwide, enabling O3b to provide global network and connectivity services.

O3b will install multiple 7.3m Ka-Band Gateway antennas at the Nemea facility enabling low latency, high-speed IP services to customer-end remote terminals. On the ground, the Gateway will initially support the provision of greater than 12 Gigabits per second throughput serving up to 10 spot beams simultaneously. O3b anticipates future expansion of the site to provide even greater capacity as customer demands grow.

“We are delighted about the agreement with EMP. With over 15 years of operational expertise at the Nemea facilities, the EMP team is an instrumental partner on our way to establish a seamless data service network for our clients. EMP’s services will further assist us in rolling out our new, ground-breaking solution to provide fast Internet connectivity to billions of citizens, businesses and organizations in previously poorly connected regions around the world,” said Brian Holz, CTO of O3b Networks.

We are proud to be the first globally to host an O3b Gateway Teleport Service, via the Nemea Teleport based in Greece. By selecting EMP, O3b can leverage our strategic geographical position, our competitive offerings to the data markets, our diverse fiber connectivity and world class facilities. We are very pleased that O3b has selected EMP to support the company’s innovative system and we are looking forward to being a long term partner of O3b and supporting its future expansion,” added Dimitrios Papaharalabos, Head of Sales and Marketing of EMP.

This new agreement is an important step forward for O3b as it deploys a range of highly reliable and superior quality services to clients around the world. A single O3b satellite beam - covering a geographical area of over 600km/diameter on the ground – delivers fast data connectivity and fiber like latency coupled with very high capacity. This capacity will be available to mobile backhaul operators, backbone operators, government entities, and data or bandwidth resellers. O3b’s ground-breaking technology will serve current and future demand for connectivity in emerging markets.

MTN announces extended partnership with Crystal Cruises

2010-08-05T14:12:00.000-07:00

MTN Satellite Communications (MTN), the leading global service provider of communications, connectivity, and content services to remote locations around the world, announced today that it has been awarded a five-year contract extension with Crystal Cruises to provide its VSAT satellite communication services.

According to Brent Horwitz, senior vice president, MTN cruise and ferry services, MTN will continue providing a full range of satellite communication services for guests and crew, including onboard cellular phone service, OceanPhone crew calling, inbound dialing, and MTN Worldwide TV. The agreement calls for each ship to have a guaranteed committed information rate (CIR) of 1 MB with the ability to burst to significantly higher bandwidth levels.

SkyBitz Forms Government Group

2010-08-05T14:08:00.000-07:00

SkyBitz, the leader in remote asset tracking and information management solutions, announced the development of a Government Solutions group. The company provides remote asset management solutions based on advanced technology from Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) that are ideal for government organizations with requirements to track and manage assets and cargo with continuous visibility and high security without access to a power source.

SkyBitz utilized DARPA funding to develop its patented Global Locating System (GLS) technology and a very efficient two-way communication satellite communications protocol, which provides a more secure platform than traditional GPS and satellite communications solutions.

In January the company introduced the SkyBitz GLS400 Mobile Terminal, a machine-to-machine (M2M) asset tracking solution that provides a lower overall total cost of ownership through increased power efficiency, reliability, ruggedness and service life. Instead of the spotty visibility of in-transit assets afforded by patchworks of traditional GPS and RFID installations, SkyBitz addresses the homeland and defense security challenges that governments face by providing continuous in-transit visibility of containers and mission critical assets in real time.

Late last year, SkyBitz also received Defense Transportation Tracking System II (DTTS) certification by The Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Commands (SDDC). This certification enables SkyBitz clients to meet the Government's requirement for establishing a transportation protective service for tracking of Arms, Ammunition and Explosives (AA&E)-laden commercial closed box van/trailers.

Looking ahead, SkyBitz is working with Iridium to build a solution that will feature lower power consumption and a longer battery life than is commercially available today in the global tracking market. This solution will be built around the Iridium 9602, a revolutionary, small, lightweight and low-cost transceiver that enables the world’s only global, two-way satellite links for low-latency, real-time data transmission. The new solution is ideal for government organizations that require intelligent sensor solutions and power-efficient, two-way communications to maintain critical visibility on high-value assets.

C-COM Announces Issuance of Stock Options

2010-08-05T13:57:00.000-07:00

C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. is a leader in the development and deployment of mobile satellite-based technology for the delivery of two-way high-speed Internet services into vehicles and mobile structures, announced, pursuant to the requirements of the TSX Venture Exchange, that it has granted options to purchase 125,000 common shares of C-COM to certain directors and officers of C-COM.

The stock options were granted pursuant to the terms of C-COM's stock option plan and are exercisable at $0.300 per share. This grant forms part of a total remuneration package. Stock option grants are subject to necessary regulatory approvals.

Ease of ‘Plug and Play’ supports Thuraya IP competitiveness

2010-08-05T13:36:00.000-07:00

The world’s smallest satellite broadband solution, Thuraya IP is designed with a user-friendly plug and play system. Thuraya IP is one of the few solutions on the market which does not require customers to install additional software when operating Thuraya IP.

Both data exchange and speed define the modern age of communication and those in need of rapid and reliable broadband services require easy and efficient access to the internet and email. Through a satellite broadband terminal such as Thuraya IP, customers can access high speed data services regardless of their location without having to install complicated and specialised software when using the solution which facilitates the connection process.

Thuraya IP is the first satellite broadband terminal to reach 384 Kbps video-streaming speeds and has Standard IP speeds of up to 444 Kbps. A-5 sized, it is a lightweight and portable device that offers asymmetric streaming whereby the user can select download and upload speeds without having to compromise on quality or cost. The terminal has seen market boost from vertical market customers such as broadcast media, government, oil and gas, military and individual users.

ViaSat's Airborne ISR Network Upgrade Enables High Rate Intelligence

2010-08-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

ViaSat, which recently announced it improved performance in its airborne broadband network by upgrading its transmission rates, has now announced it demonstrated a new return link waveform that could enable a nearly 10-fold improvement in the baseline return link available to current operations.

The development waveform project and demonstration was performed for an undisclosed government customer.Company officials say the new operations can send high-resolution video and broadband data off the aircraft at speeds up to 1 Mbps.

ViaSat’s recent tests also offered continuous return link traffic using the same airborne broadband satcom network equipment that U.S. Special Forces and a variety of other intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance or “ISR” aircraft are operating in the Middle East.

The company has announced plans for in-theater operational demonstrations of the higher return link rates for later this year.

This improved airborne ISR capability, according to company officials, can transmit multiple full motion high definition video feeds as well as other ISR sensor data streams simultaneously from a single platform.

Through this demo, ViaSat plans to provide a path for continuous return rates at the highest possible speed while operating on widely available Ku-band satellites.

The Ku-band system enables the highest speed ISR missions operating with ultra small .3-meter antennas and meeting the regulatory performance for Ku-band satellites. ViaSat mobile broadband terminals include a mix of systems operating on integrated networks for general aviation, communication on-the-move, maritime, and rail.

These mobile broadband terminals use ViaSat patented ArcLight technology, which enables a very small antenna to deliver improved speed and performance compared to other mobile satellite alternatives.

ViaSat also announced it has received a $477 million IDIQ contract to supply the next generation of high speed, high capacity, low latency Blue Force Tracking or “BFT” equipment to the U.S. Army as part of the Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below or “FBCB2” Program.

Atlas 5 rocket to receive its satellite passenger

2010-08-05T13:26:00.000-07:00

SES WORLD SKIES, US Government Solutions has delivered the Commercially Hosted Infrared Payload (CHIRP) sensor assembly to satellite manufacturer, Orbital Sciences Corporation.

The sensor will be installed on SES-2, an SES WORLD SKIES communications satellite currently in production.

The arrival of the sensor developed by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) represents an important milestone for Air Force Space and Missile Systems Centre (SMC) in their objective to test the potential of wide field-of-view, staring infrared sensors for a range of Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) missions.

The CHIRP sensor features a telescope that can view a quarter of the earth from geosynchronous orbit. The CHIRP sensor is equipped with a four megapixel focal plane array manufactured by Teledyne that is sensitive in both short wave and medium wave infrared.

SES WORLD SKIES expects the launch window for this mission to open in the second half of 2011.

Antesky Introduces How to Survey the Site of Earth Station Antenna

2010-08-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

Location of the earth station antenna is by far the must important consideration, in order to have the best coverage. The Tx/Rx antenna site selection is very important.

One of the most important factors to be considered for trouble-free, high-quality signal reception from desired satellites is the location of the antenna (i.e., the antenna site). For optimal signal reception, it is important that the antenna site selected provides the following:

Operational Clearance. The site must allow clearance for antenna movement (both elevation and azimuth) necessary for aiming and maintenance purposes.

Clear Line-Of-Sight. The site must allow clearance for ante-sky antenna to be aimed (pointed) at desired satellite(s) with no obstructions between satellite(s) and any portion of the reflector.

Absence Of Signal Interference. The site must be free of strong microwave and other signal interference.

In order to evaluate the antenna site selected against the above criteria, the antenna pointing position (i.e., aiming coordinates) for the desired satellite(s) must be determined.

Ground mount

This involves a tube lowered into a hole which is then filled in with concrete. Alternatively the tube may have a metal base plate attached so that it may be screwed to plain concrete base using expanding bolts or similar. The pole should be accurately vertical so that when you sewing the dish around to find the satellite the elevation angle stays the same all the time.

Securing the area with fencing or similar may be necessary.

Non penetrating mount

Based on an angle iron frame covered in concrete slabs. The antenna support tube is held vertical by several angle braces. Make sure that all angle braces are tight so that the pole does not wobble or twist in the wind. Read the assembly instructions carefully. The lower and upper angle braces may need to be attached to opposite sides of the vertical pole to prevent twisting.

A permanent safety rope is advised to be attached between the dish assembly and some fixed part of the building so that the dish does not blow off the building in exceptionally high winds.

Check the building roof is strong enough to support the weight of all the concrete blocks. In many cases a non-penetrating mount is not possible due to weak roof.

Orbit Wins Contract to Supply OrSat Ku-Band and C-Band Marine Satellite Communication Systems to French Navy

2010-08-04T16:28:00.000-07:00

Orbit Technology Group, a recognized leader in the developmentof advanced solutions for Stabilized Mobile Satellite Communication and Tracking Antennas, announced the award of an order, in excess of $4 million, by the French Navy via DCNS.

With this contract, Orbit will supply the French Navy with Ku-Band (brand name OrSat) and C-Band Marine Satellite Communication systems. Orbit’s systems will provide the French Navy with continuous, high speed, two-way connectivity for reliable reception and transmission of voice, data and Internet connection, in harsh environmental conditions. The French Navy has selected Orbit for its extensive and proven experience in the field of satellite communications, its unique and advanced technologies, and its systems' ability to provide continuous connectivity.

Orbit’s advanced Marine Satellite Communication systems offer a number of unique features.
Utilizing an exclusive modular mechanical design that is extremely compact and highly efficient, the systems provide high bandwidth always on connectivity. Constituting an outand- out revolution in high stability marine communications, OrSat boasts no keyholes for continuous zenith-horizon communications. With built-in GPS and RF packages, OrSat requires no system balancing and is exceptionally easy to install, operate and maintain. OrSat’s unique status having Eutelsat, Intelsat and Anatel type approvals, coupled with its field proven record, sets OrSat apart as an off-the-shelf system, ready-to-operate in Global-Ku voyages.

HUGHES Managed Networks Bring Distance Learning to Indian Nations Schools

2010-08-04T16:23:00.000-07:00

Hughes Network Systems, LLC , the global leader in broadband satellite networks and services, today announced the installation of a satellite uplink enabling distance learning at the Havasupai Elementary School, located in the heart of the Grand Canyon. This installation is the 150th site installed under the National Indian Programs Training Center’s (NIPTC) Enhanced Learning and Knowledge Network (ELKNet), delivering distance learning to schools, federal agencies, and juvenile detention centers located in remote areas of Indian Country.

Hughes provides managed network services for ELKNet enabling real-time distance education via satellite to schools, federal agencies, and juvenile detention centers. Courses and workshops are developed by NIPTC instructors and shared through Interactive Television (ITV) with one-way video and two-way audio services. Hughes ultimately will manage distance education for Tribal Nations at 205 sites across 25 states.

Iridium Receives Commitments for $1.8 Billion Credit Facility for Construction of Iridium NEXT

2010-08-04T16:17:00.000-07:00

Iridium Communications Inc. announced today that it has received in excess of $1.8 billion of commitments from a syndicate of preeminent international banks in connection with the credit facility that will be used to finance the construction of the company's next-generation satellite constellation, Iridium NEXT. The facility will bear an interest rate below six percent, the majority of which will be fixed rate and will have a repayment term from 2017 through 2024. Iridium expects to sign the credit facility in September and close shortly thereafter. The closing of the facility will be subject to customary conditions as well as conditions relating to the then-current Euro-to-U.S. dollar exchange rate.

Matt Desch, Iridium's CEO, commented, "This represents another important milestone for Iridium, and we are extremely pleased with the interest in our facility and corresponding support for Iridium. The development of Iridium NEXT is in full swing with our prime contractor, Thales Alenia Space, and we're on target to launch the first Iridium NEXT satellites in early 2015."

Astrium wins $72 million contract for satellite system from VAST

2010-08-04T16:11:00.000-07:00

Astrium has signed a contract worth EUR 55.2 million with the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) for the development, manufacture and launch of an Earth observation optical satellite system. This follows on from last November’s intergovernmental agreement on space co-operation between France and Vietnam, in which the French government affirmed its commitment to building a closer partnership with Vietnam in the domain of science and technology.

The contract awarded by VAST – the national institution responsible for setting up Vietnam’s Earth observation space programme – relates to the Vietnam Natural Resources, Environment and Disaster Monitoring Satellite VNREDSat-1 and the corresponding ground systems.

This programme is the result of an initiative by the Vietnamese government to create a space infrastructure enabling the country to better monitor and study the effects of climate change, predict and take measures to prevent natural disasters, and optimise the management of its natural resources. More generally, it will allow the country to advance its knowledge in the field of space engineering and benefit from the ensuing economic and technological growth to create new employment opportunities.

The space system comprises an optical satellite capable of capturing images with a resolution of 2.5 metres, the associated ground control, image receiving and processing stations, and a co-operation and training programme for the Vietnamese engineers. The image receiving and processing terminals will be integrated in Vietnam’s existing ENRMS monitoring station, a multi-satellite ground facility operated by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

The satellite will be built in Toulouse by a team including 15 Vietnamese engineers.

Solar Tsunami Could Hit Satellites

2010-08-04T16:08:00.000-07:00

The solar tsunami, which is directed towards the Earth after a massive explosion in the Sun, could adversely affect orbiting satellites, scientists have warned.

A wave of supercharged particles is expected to hit the natural magnetic field around the Earth sometime in the evening of August 3 and August 4. This wave will trigger a spectacular display of aurora or the northern and southern lights. Over the weekend, NASA’s new Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded solar fireworks triggered off by a massive explosion in the Sun called the coronal mass ejection. NASA says this was a C3-class solar flare. The origin of the blast was Earth-facing sunspot 1092.

This explosion was directed at the Earth and triggered off a “solar tsunami” racing 93 million miles in the space. These ionized particles are due to hit Earth late on Tuesday evening and may last into Wednesday as well. "On the evening of August 3rd/4th, skywatchers in the northern U.S. and other countries should look toward the north for the rippling dancing “curtains” of green and red light," NASA said.

Experts fear that the wave may affect communication satellites, the New Scientist reported . Intelsat's Galaxy 15 was put out in April by what is thought to be a massive gust of solar particles.

The Sun has been in slumber for a long time now and NASA scientists have warned that this event may be a harbinger to the fact that the Sun is waking up. It is expected that in 2013 there will be maximum activity on the Sun's surface.

Lockheed Martin wins $71 million contract from General Dynamics

2010-08-04T16:03:00.000-07:00

Lockheed Martin has won a contract from General Dynamics, as part of Warfighter Information Network-Tactical Increment 2, to provide communications hardware and equipment for the transmission subsystem. The transmission subsystem provides the foundation for the network's capability to transfer data over a dispersed non-contiguous area. This contract award is valued at $71 million, a multiple year contract expected to be approximately $400 million in total value.

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Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) will provide the network backbone that will link warfighters across the battlefield. The next iteration of WIN-T, Increment 2, will equip tactical commanders' vehicles with on-the-move broadband communications, enabling them to see and command the battle-space wherever the mission demands.

Under this contract, Lockheed Martin's team will produce tactical communications equipment that will be incorporated into a variety of combat vehicle platforms. Equipment produced will include transmission subsystem radios, modems, antennas and mast systems. The team will also contribute in the development and delivery of training courses to signal operators as WIN-T Increment 2 is fielded.

Lockheed Martin is teamed with General Dynamics, BAE Systems, Harris Corporation, and L-3 Communications on the WIN-T program.

Inmarsat buys 3 Boeing satellites for $1 bln-source-UPDATE 1

2010-08-04T15:29:00.000-07:00

Inmarsat has ordered a fleet of three advanced satellites from Boeing for about $1 billion to deliver faster broadband service to customers by the end of 2014, a person close to the deal told Reuters.

The major upgrade to Ka-Band satellites will let Inmarsat offer broadband to commercial and government clients at speeds up to 20 times faster and at less cost than its ageing L-Band fleet, which operates at the opposite end of the frequency spectrum.

Britain's Inmarsat will continue to operate its existing network of 11 L-Band satellites, which provide voice and data to shipping, aviation and land-based customers working in war zones and disaster areas.

Broadband has been the fastest growing part of Inmarsat's business in recent years, offsetting a decline in voice traffic.

Analysts at Credit Suisse said demand for Ka-Band capacity was set to grow substantially over the next 10 years from current low levels, and it was a positive move by Inmarsat to implement a Ka-Band strategy sooner rather than later.

The shares closed down 3 percent at 722.5 pence on Wednesday. Shares in Boeing, meanwhile, were 0.8 percent higher at 1626 GMT.

Boeing beat Thales Alenia Space of France to win the order. Thales shares shed 1.4 percent. (Editing by Paul Hoskins and Michael Shields)

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. Awarded $2.9 Million of Orders for High-Power Integrated Amplifier Systems

2010-08-04T15:26:00.000-07:00

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. announced that its Melville, New York-based subsidiary, Comtech PST Corp., has received $2.9 million of orders from a domestic prime contractor to supply broadband, solid state, high-power integrated amplifier systems.

These systems, which include the latest solid state transistor and switching technology and provide for very broad frequency coverage, are key components in radio signal jamming systems manufactured by our customer.

Fred Kornberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of Comtech Telecommunications Corp., said, "Comtech PST continues its success and recognition as a premier supplier of solid state, high-power amplifier systems to the worldwide electronic warfare marketplace. This is another important set of orders for Comtech PST as it affirms our customers' confidence in Comtech as a high volume manufacturer of high-power integrated amplifier systems."

MITEc's new VSAT components gain traction in Africa

2010-08-03T14:32:00.000-07:00

Mitec Telecom Inc. ("Mitec") (TSX: MTM), a leading designer and manufacturer of mobile wireless, fixed wireless, broadcast and satellite components announced today it has received the first in a series of orders from a large network operator for its new MTX series VSAT Block Upconverter. Deliveries are expected to take place in Q2, fiscal 2011 and additional orders are expected from this customer throughout the year.

In Q4, fiscal 2009, Mitec officially launched this new series of products and began to phase out its legacy line of WTX Series Block Upconverters. Following significant investment in R&D and marketing, the MTX product line has differentiated Mitec from its competition.

The customer is currently involved in a network expansion project in Africa, where there is significant demand for 2-way satellite communication to support the growth of multimedia, voice and data services in geographically challenging areas.

Mitec's VSAT division generally demonstrates consistent revenues quarter over quarter because network build-outs are planned well in advance and operators consider Mitec's components the backbone of these expansion projects. This order was generated as a result of the performance standard that the new MTX product line established in the market.

Mitec expects continued success increasing its penetration into the VSAT market with the launch of these new products, which have generated better than anticipated interest and have been accepted as the industry standard going forward.

TeleCommunication Systems Signs Reseller Agreement With Tampa Microwave

2010-08-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. , a world leader in highly reliable and secure mobile communication technology, today announced that it has entered into a reseller agreement with Tampa Microwave to deliver manportable satellite communication terminals. TCS plans to integrate this key technology into its leading SNAP VSAT product family for the United States Department of Defense, and other federal and state customers, enhancing TCS' tactical communication solutions portfolio.

Through this reseller agreement, TCS customers have access to Tampa Microwave's TM-X850MP X-Band Manpack Satellite Terminal which is the smallest, lightest microsat terminal available today. Designed for ease of use, rapid deployment and maximum portability on the battlefield, the terminals weigh 18 pounds in a mast mount configuration and 27.5 pounds with all data/power cables, AC/DC power supplies and tri-pod. This technology is suited for mobility in mountainous regions and applicable for today's area of responsibility.The terminals reach unsurpassed data rates, power output and battery life by eliminating multiple aluminum enclosures, interconnecting cables and connectors found in competing terminals packaged in commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) transit cases. In addition, these terminals are currently in the process of receiving Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) certification and meet MIL-STD810F temperature requirements including operation at + 60 degrees Celsius.

Unlike traditional terminals, the X-Band Manpack boasts several new enhancements including the elimination of mechanical cooling fans. The totally passive thermal management scheme enhances reliability and assists in achieving the terminal's industry leading compact design. Given its small size, Tampa Microwave's design can truly be packed in a soldier's rucksack. In order to facilitate changes in operations or technology, the TM-X850MP X-band manpack also features separate modem and receiver/transmitter (R/T) modules that snap together using blind mate connectors. The terminal's modular design permits field changes to substitute alternative modems or Ku / Ka-band R / T's. Each X-band R/T module contains an integrated 0.4dB Noise Figure block downconverter (LNB), block upconverter (BUC), 16W (P1dB=43 dBm) Solid State Power Amplifier (SSPA), transmit band reject and transmit bandpass filters in a single chassis no larger than a laptop.

ViaSat Introduces High Definition Video Encoder at LandWarNet

2010-08-03T14:28:00.000-07:00

EnerLinks High Definition Video Encoder with Integral H.264 Compression Readily Integrates to any TCDL, CDL or other IP-based data link.

ViaSat Inc. has introduced a multichannel high definition (HD) video encoder that enables an IP-based data link to transmit standards-based H.264 compressed, HD full-motion video.

Designed to meet the environmental constraints of tactical unmanned systems, the EnerLinks HD Encoder is compatible with the industry's most advanced ISR sensors and can simultaneously compress one to two streams of HD video, or one to four streams of standard definition (SD) video. In addition, the HD encoder can transport KLV metadata that is time-aligned to each video frame in compliance with MISB Standard 0604.1. Integration with IP-compliant data links is low risk as the compressed video and KLV metadata are output by the ViaSat HD Encoder as an MPEG-2 transport stream encapsulated in IP over Ethernet.

Ground systems such as ROVER, OSRVT, and VideoScout can readily receive the CDL transmission and use an H.264 software decoder supporting an MPEG-2 transport stream to display or exploit the video content.

Following the EnerLinks legacy, the EnerLinks HD Encoder is I/O rich, with interfaces to provide metadata via TCP/IP or UDP/IP over Ethernet or via serial ports, two HD-SDI digital video ports, and four NTSC/PAL analog video ports. These interfaces provide the flexibility needed to interface with most HD or SD sensor systems.

Expand Networks... A Military Mindset

2010-08-03T14:22:00.000-07:00

As military organizations continue to seek the best methods to deliver network services, visitors to this booth can learn how a specific technology can eliminate congestion, latency and reliability issues that are being experienced by the forces over satellite links as well as how to maximize military communications, even in the most harsh locations on land, in air and at sea.

A live demonstration will enable delegates to LandWarNet 2010 to witness how Expand’s unique optimization techniques are bringing real-time network services closer to the forward edge of the battle area and accelerate the kill-chain. “Within any military environment, performance is everything and we understand that the network is no exception to this rule,” explains Howard Teicher, Vice President for Public Sector & Satellite Markets at Expand Networks. “The military cannot afford to be limited by unreliable wireless or satellite links for mission-critical communications in combat environments. They require optimization to squeeze every possible bit of performance out of a network, whether for intelligence, command and control, or tactical communications - or morale, welfare and recreation – all critical components to achieving a mission.”

The technology demonstration will enable military experts to explore Expand’s capabilities that include integrated Space Communication Protocol Standard technology, Layer 7 traffic discovery, and Quality of Service, acceleration and optimization in a real-time environment where changes can be configured on the fly to simulate any military environment.

Hughes Announces Formation of HughesNet China Co. Ltd.

2010-08-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), the global leader in broadband satellite networks and services, today announced the formation of HughesNet China Co. Ltd., a joint venture of Hughes and China UnifiedNet, demonstrating the Company's commitment to serve this strategic and rapidly growing market.

HughesNet China and its licensed partner, Beijing UnifiedNet (together known as "Hughes China") will offer a wide range of managed broadband network services to leading telecom carriers and major enterprise customers, and will support the government's initiatives in expanding rural development through access to education and emergency communications across China.

Hughes China, headquartered in Beijing, expects to commence commercial services in the fourth quarter of this year utilizing the latest Hughes technologies, including HN System Network Operations Centers (NOCs) in Beijing and Chengdu, and high-performance HN9200 and HN9400 broadband satellite routers.

Two Thales Alenia Space communications satellites arrive at launch site

2010-08-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

The Nilesat-201 and RASCOM-QAF1R satellites, built by Thales Alenia Space as prime contractor for Nilesat and RascomStar-QAF, respectively, have arrived at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, for final preparations leading up to an Ariane 5 launch this summer.

Nilesat-201 will enable the Egyptian satellite operator Nilesat to deliver digital Direct to Home (DTH) TV and radio broadcasting and high-speed data transmission services to North Africa and the Middle East starting in September 2010.

Built on a Spacebus 4000B2 platform, Nilesat-201 is fitted with 24 Ku-band and 4 Ka-band transponders. It will be positioned at 7 degrees West longitude and offers a design life of 15 years. Weight at launch will be about 3,200 kg, and it will generate 5.9 kW of power at end-of-life.

RASCOM-QAF1R will ensure service continuity for the operator RascomStar-QAF and its customers, by giving Africa access to advanced communications and information technologies, in particular rural telephony.

Based on the Spacebus 4000B3 platform, the RASCOM-QAF1R satellite Is equipped with 24 equivalent 36 MHz transponders in both Ku-band and C-band. It will weigh about 3,050 kg at launch, and provide 6.4 kW of power at end-of-life. Positioned at 2.9 degrees East longitude, RASCOM-QAF1R will cover the African continent, as well as parts of Europe and the Middle East.

Harris Finalizes Acquisition of CapRock Communications

2010-08-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

Harris Corp., an international communications and information technology company, has completed its previously announced acquisition of CapRock Communications.

Privately held CapRock was purchased for $525 million in cash, subject to post-closing adjustments.

Private equity firm ABRY Partners was the majority owner of CapRock.

CapRock Communications CEO Peter Shaper will serve as president of the business, which will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Harris Corp.

With nearly three decades of experience, CapRock Communications is a premier global satellite communications provider for the energy, government, maritime, engineering and construction and mining industries as well as for disaster recovery services. The company uses the latest field-proven satellite technologies to deliver highly-reliable managed communications services, including broadband Internet, voice over IP, secure networking and real-time video, to the world's harshest and most remote locations. CapRock leverages partnerships, technical expertise and a global infrastructure that includes four self-owned and operated teleports and eleven regional support centers across North America, Central and South America, Europe, West Africa and Asia Pacific.

TeleCommunication Systems Signs Reseller Agreement With Tampa Microwave

2010-08-03T10:56:00.000-07:00

TeleCommunication Systems, Inc., a world leader in highly reliable and secure mobile communication technology, announced that it has entered into a reseller agreement with Tampa Microwave to deliver manportable satellite communication terminals. TCS plans to integrate this key technology into its leading SNAP VSAT product family for the United States Department of Defense, and other federal and state customers, enhancing TCS' tactical communication solutions portfolio.

Through this reseller agreement, TCS customers have access to Tampa Microwave's TM-X850MP X-Band Manpack Satellite Terminal which is the smallest, lightest microsat terminal available today. Designed for ease of use, rapid deployment and maximum portability on the battlefield, the terminals weigh 18 pounds in a mast mount configuration and 27.5 pounds with all data/power cables, AC/DC power supplies and tri-pod. This technology is suited for mobility in mountainous regions and applicable for today's area of responsibility.The terminals reach unsurpassed data rates, power output and battery life by eliminating multiple aluminum enclosures, interconnecting cables and connectors found in competing terminals packaged in commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) transit cases. In addition, these terminals are currently in the process of receiving Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) certification and meet MIL-STD810F temperature requirements including operation at + 60 degrees Celsius.

Unlike traditional terminals, the X-Band Manpack boasts several new enhancements including the elimination of mechanical cooling fans. The totally passive thermal management scheme enhances reliability and assists in achieving the terminal's industry leading compact design. Given its small size, Tampa Microwave's design can truly be packed in a soldier's rucksack. In order to facilitate changes in operations or technology, the TM-X850MP X-band manpack also features separate modem and receiver/transmitter (R/T) modules that snap together using blind mate connectors. The terminal's modular design permits field changes to substitute alternative modems or Ku / Ka-band R / T's. Each X-band R/T module contains an integrated 0.4dB Noise Figure block downconverter (LNB), block upconverter (BUC), 16W (P1dB=43 dBm) Solid State Power Amplifier (SSPA), transmit band reject and transmit bandpass filters in a single chassis no larger than a laptop.

Arianespace - Oxygen Omnipresence

2010-08-02T15:36:00.000-07:00

A new liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen production plant is being readied for service to support Arianespace's sustained mission rate for the heavy-lift Ariane 5 and its upcoming introduction of the medium-lift Soyuz. This new plant is to replace the Spaceport's existing 30-year-old facility, and will offer a higher production output for liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen, as well as significantly larger storage capacity. Its acceptance phase is expected to be completed by the end of 2010.

Liquid oxygen is used as a propellant in Ariane 5 and Soyuz. In addition, a portion of the plant's output is supplied to all of the hospitals in French Guiana — as the Spaceport is the only production source for liquid oxygen in this French overseas department. Liquid nitrogen has a number of applications at the Spaceport, including its use as an inerting gas on the launch pad; for ventilation, cleaning and pressurization during launcher preparation; for the pneumatic operation of valves within the Spaceport launch site's infrastructure; and for the cool-down of gas and liquid oxygen propellant before their loading on the launch vehicles. The installation of four large tanks at the new plant will enable storage of 760 cubic meters of liquid oxygen and 750 cubic meters of liquid nitrogen, providing the capacity to support the Ariane 5 and Soyuz launchers at their planned mission rates.

Development of the new production facility is part of Arianespace's overall effort to ensure the Spaceport remains one of the world's most modern and flexible launch facilities. Its construction is funded with financial investments by the company and the European Space Agency. The new facility was built adjacent to the Spaceport's existing liquid oxygen/liquid nitrogen plant, which is located near the former Ariane 4 launcher integration building. The current plant will be dismantled after its replacement is fully operational.

Eutelsat Preps 10Mbps Rural Broadband Satellite ISP

2010-08-02T15:18:00.000-07:00

Eutelsat, european satellite operator has released its latest full year results and revealed that its new KA-SAT Satellite, which will offer download speeds of up to 10Mbps and should become part of their Tooway consumer broadband service in the EU and UK, is officially set to be launched in November this year.

Incidentally Avanti was recently forced to delay its competing 8Mbps HYLAS 1 Satellite launch by six weeks (here). It had originally been due to enter orbit in September 2010, but the new timescale would put HYLAS 1 right alongside its arch rival Eutelsat.

The existing Eutelsat Tooway service can be purchased through several UK Satellite ISPs (e.g. Tariam Homenet), which offers download speeds of up to 3.6Mbps, uploads of up to 0.38Mbps (384Kbps) and a 2.4GB monthly usage allowance for around £30-£35 per month. However the connection fee and hardware tends to cost around £500.

Both Avanti's and Eutelsat's service could be used to help plug the holes in rural broadband coverage around the UK, thus making it easier for the government to meet its 2Mbps Universal Service Commitment (USC) by 2015. However they are expensive and high latency often makes internet voice and fast paced multiplayer gaming services unusable. Likewise the usage allowances often leave much to be desired.

Great Plains Communications has selected ADTRAN's flagship product

2010-08-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

ADTRAN(R) , a leading provider of next-generation networking solutions,announced that Great Plains Communications, a provider of integrated communications services to businesses and residents in Nebraska, has selected ADTRAN's flagship product, the Total Access(R) 5000 Multi-Service Access and Aggregation Platform (MSAP), for legacy switch migration and next-generation IP-based voice and data service delivery.

Great Plains Communications selected ADTRAN's Total Access 5000 for its network migration based on the platform's flexibility and vast feature set, which provides the ability to offer multiple services such as POTS, ADSL2+, VDSL2 and Fiber-to-the-Home, from a single platform. These characteristics, along with an industry-leading warranty, outstanding customer service and unprecedented bandwidth capacity, make the Total Access 5000 an ideal solution.

"ADTRAN's Total Access 5000 enables us to migrate from our legacy infrastructure to a next-generation network and immediately roll out revenue-generating services to our customer base of 30,000 business and residential customers across Nebraska," said John Greene, network engineer, Great Plains Communications. "The Total Access 5000 allows us to deliver a variety of services out of a single chassis and will speed our transition to delivering advanced broadband services. We evaluated several access vendors before choosing ADTRAN. We selected ADTRAN and the Total Access 5000 for its flexibility to offer ubiquitous services over copper and fiber from a single next-generation Ethernet platform. There are many next-generation MSAPs on the market, but only ADTRAN delivered the complete suite of services and interfaces that we needed."

Using the Total Access 5000, service providers can transition services from legacy access systems to a next-generation platform. The Total Access 5000 provides a gradual migration from xDSL services to FTTP, while allowing traditional TDM services to be transported over a shared Ethernet infrastructure.

The Total Access 5000 is an Ethernet-based Multi-Service Access and Aggregation Platform providing a flexible solution for voice, data and video. With support for Service Migration, Broadband and Carrier Ethernet services on a common platform, the Total Access 5000 is the perfect network element to keep capital expenditures to a minimum, dramatically lower operational expenses, and enhance the performance of the access network.

TeleCommunication Systems Adds Fixed-Price VoIP Solution to Managed Satellite Services

2010-08-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS), a world leader in highly reliable and secure mobile communication technology, announced that it has broadened its voice, video, and data satellite solutions portfolio by offering a fixed-price Voice over IP (VoIP) solution to new and existing managed satellite services customers. Organizations can control costs by implementing a TCS VoS (Voice-over-Satellite) package that allows unlimited calling to up to 40 countries for one low, flat monthly fee. This makes the solution ideally suited for addressing Continuity of Operations (COOP), first responder, and disaster recovery response requirements anywhere in the world.

TCS VoS turnkey packages can be used in conjunction with TCS' current managed satellite communications services or as a free-standing solution for existing clients. TCS VoS supports individual users with a direct dial U.S. number per phone and can scale to include full hosted virtual office solutions for organizations reaching 10,000 users, across both satellite and terrestrial networks, as required. This solution complements TCS' ability to provide custom VoIP solutions to its existing client base by adding flat rate plans, hosted internet protocol private branch exchange (ipBX), and managed call center solutions, as well as session initiation protocol trunking for private VoIP networks.

A key provider of today's wireless, wireline, and VoIP E9-1-1 solutions, TCS is now leading the transition to Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) solutions that are revolutionizing emergency communications. TCS pioneered the methods by which Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) in the U.S. are able to receive a wireless or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) subscriber's location during calls for emergency assistance, and TCS patents cover the underlying technology that is the basis for E9-1-1 service delivery.

TCS' VoS services leverage TCS' long experience in the VoIP, networking, and emergency services marketplace. VoS improves existing Public Safety E9-1-1 networks or can complement TCS' NG9-1-1 solution. The company's award-winning wireless and VoIP E9-1-1 services, together with its wireline E9-1-1 solutions, serve over 140 million wireless and IP-enabled devices. With the nation's only non-carrier TL 9000-certified wireless and VoIP E9-1-1 Network Operations Center (NOC), TCS' highly-reliable E9-1-1 solutions ensure that a subscriber's emergency call routes to the appropriate PSAP and automatically pinpoints the caller's location information. For over a decade TCS' service to Public Safety has grown to include over 5,000 PSAPs in 49 states plus Washington, DC and Puerto Rico.

Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements as defined within Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and are based upon TCS' current expectations and assumptions that if incorrect would cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. Risks include without limitation those detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including the reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 and 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2010. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances, or otherwise.

Globalstar, Inc. Q2 2010 Earnings Call Release Notice

2010-08-02T11:06:00.000-07:00

Globalstar, Inc. (Nasdaq:GSAT), a leading provider of mobile satellite voice and data services to businesses, governments and consumers, will announce its second quarter 2010 financial results on Thursday, August 5, 2010 after the market closes. The earnings conference call scheduled for August 5, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time will discuss the second quarter results for 2010.

With approximately 400,000 subscribers, Globalstar is a leading provider of mobile satellite voice and data services. Globalstar offers these services to commercial and recreational users in more than 120 countries around the world. The Company's products include mobile and fixed satellite telephones, simplex and duplex satellite data modems and flexible service packages. Many land based and maritime industries benefit from Globalstar with increased productivity from remote areas beyond cellular and landline service. Global customer segments include: oil and gas, government, mining, forestry, commercial fishing, utilities, military, transportation, heavy construction, emergency preparedness, and business continuity as well as individual recreational users. Globalstar data solutions are ideal for various asset and personal tracking, data monitoring and SCADA applications.

Alpha Data installs the latest in connectivity and security equipment for Yahsat

2010-08-02T11:04:00.000-07:00

Alpha Data, the UAE's largest multi-disciplined systems integrator, has been selected by Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PrJsc (Yahsat) to install the latest in structured cabling systems, audio video and security solutions at its Abu Dhabi Head Quarters and satellite control station. The new infrastructure will provide Yahsat with reliable standards-based connectivity solutions to ensure consistent performance for its computing applications.

Yahsat will offer customized satellite solutions for the government as well as the commercial sector in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and South West Asia. Its first satellite, Y1A, is currently being built and expected to be launched in the first quarter of 2011, followed by the launch of Y1B satellite in the second half of 2011.

Calysto Communications to Manage Public Relations Activities for Globecomm

2010-08-02T11:01:00.000-07:00

Calysto Communications, a global public relations and social media marketing firm focused on the broadcasting, mobile and telecommunications industries, announced that Calysto will provide public relations support to Globecomm , a leading global provider of managed network services.

Calysto Communications is a recognized leader in public relations and social media for companies in the broadcasting, mobile and telecom industries. The agency is focused on helping clients combine "traditional" public relations activities with innovative social media marketing techniques to get the most out of their public relations programs.

Globecomm which is already a recognized leader in the satellite industry -- has tapped Calysto to help the company deliver its unique message to new industry segments such as the mobile market and to support PR activities for the wireless and government industries.

Globecomm provides end-to-end managed services to meet the communications needs of organizations around the world. It offers a wide range of hosted and managed communications services that leverage its global transmission capacity and network of data center, content management and switching facilities.

Globecomm specializes in providing total solutions that free you to focus on your core mission -- whether it is telecommunications, broadcasting, retailing, serving constituents, maintaining security or projecting force. It delivers systems and services anywhere in the world, under any conditions. From secure military applications in a war zone to a hybrid terrestrial-satellite network under tight cost and schedule constraints.

Each member of Calysto's 50-member team boasts 10 to 25+ years of experience in public relations, marketing and social media marketing and at least eight years of experience in communications technologies (broadcasting, mobile and telecom).

This experience has led to impressive results for clients -- both in social media and in the traditional public relations arena. For instance, a social media campaign spearheaded by one member of Calysto's team resulted in coverage in more than 100 blogs. As a result, the company added more than 3,000 qualified software developers to its open source community and drove more than 10,000 unique visitors to the company's site in just 60 days after the campaign launched.

Another company signed a multimillion dollar contract thanks to the press coverage Calysto secured during a CTIA Wireless trade show. Yet another Calysto client secured an RFP and more than a dozen direct sales leads thanks to the big splash its announcement made at Supercomm this year.

Harris Corporation Wins Communications Contract from NASA

2010-08-02T10:58:00.000-07:00

Harris Corporation has announced that it has won a NASA contract as part of the agency’s Crew, Robotics, Avionics, and Vehicle Equipment program. Harris Corporation has been chosen to be a member of the Oceaneering Space Systems, Inc. team. The Oceaneering team is one of three industry teams and two universities selected to participate in the five-year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract, which has a ceiling value of $70 million.

CRAVE contracts will encompass a variety of tasks for all human spaceflight programs supported by the Johnson Space Center Engineering Directorate, including the Space Shuttle, Space Station and Exploration. The awarded contracts relate to areas such as communications, avionics, ventilation systems and space suit modifications and new hand tools for astronauts.

Harris has been entrusted with the task of providing design, development, manufacturing, testing and sustainment of space communications systems and equipment. In addition, the company will support Oceaneering in networking and robotic command and control tasks as required. Because of the advanced research studies the company has conducted and because of the network architectures it has developed, Harris is in a position to provide highly reliable space and terrestrial communications and help solve the agency’s unique, mission-critical program challenges.

Harris has had a long-standing association with NASA. It has participated in a number of NASA programs since the 1960s, including Apollo, Space Shuttle and the International Space Station. Recently, TMCnet reported that Harris Corporation has also been entrusted with modernizing NASA Ground Segment for Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System.

CASBAA Expands Indian Footprint

2010-07-31T11:02:00.000-07:00

The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA ) is an association dedicated to promoting multi-channel television via cable, satellite, broadband and wireless video networks across the Asia Pacific.
CASBAA announced a powerful expansion of its Indian agenda with the addition of three market leaders as members of the Association.

The new CASBAA Corporate members are telecoms-to-media services specialist Bharti Airtel, leading news content provider NDTV and media and entertainment giant Star TV India.

In line with this market growth, as a regional body with a domestic agenda, CASBAA continues to increase its commitment to India through undertaking conferences, issuing reports and regularly engaging with policy-making government bodies on key industry issues.

"As a leading DTH player, we are committed to collaborating with world leaders in bringing innovative technologies," said Ajai Puri, Director & CEO - DTH, Bharti Airtel. "We are confident that CASBAA, leading the evolution of ecosystems and technologies that enable cable, satellite and broadcast industry, will impact positively on some critical structural changes to help digitize India rapidly."

K V L Narayan Rao, Group CEO and Executive Director, NDTV said: "We are delighted to become members of CASBAA. As the market-leading news broadcaster in the region, we look forward to working with CASBAA for what can only be mutual benefit."

Anupam Vasudev, EVP - Marketing, Star India added that "as the country's leading television network, we are committed to working with reputed industry bodies on initiatives that can help develop and move the broadcasting industry to the next level. We look forward to our partnership with CASBAA to create successful programs to achieve this objective."

"Certainly, the additional memberships bring extraordinary new value to CASBAA's contribution to the Indian pay-TV market," said Marcel Fenez, Chairman of CASBAA. "With our extended footprint the Association looks forward to joining hands with all its Indian members and partners."

According to Anjan Mitra, the CASBAA Executive Director, India, "as part of our communications strategy we have been telling the 'India Story' to the international broadcasting and investment communities, the new partnerships with Bharti Airtel, NDTV and Star TV India will benefit all parties."

By almost every measure India is the most dynamic pay-TV market in the world with almost 10% growth every year over the past five years. In the next 12 months it is expected to overtake China as the biggest pay-TV market in Asia.

Supported by 92 million cable and satellite (C&S) homes, including 23 million DTH households and 4 million digital cable homes, India's C&S subscriber base has grown by over 20 million in the past 12 months. The number of India's mobile subscribers stands at 617.53 million at the end of April this year, up from 601.22 million in the beginning of the month, which itself is an impressive growth story.

Other CASBAA members within India include Amarchand Mangaldas, B.A.G. Network, CONAX, IMCL (Incablenet and Indigital), Tata Sky, Zee TV and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).