April 11, 2018 – Thuraya unveiled the world’s first satellite smartphone during its partner conference in Dubai. The Thuraya X5-Touch runs on the Android Operating System and has a 5.2” full HD touchscreen. It targets users who frequently move in and out of terrestrial coverage across a range of market sectors including government missions, energy…

April 11, 2018 – Inmarsat has signed a MoU with Mahata Aero Teknologi (MAT), Lufthansa Systems and Lufthansa Technik, to provide a world-class inflight broadband service to passengers onboard Low Cost Carrier (LCC) Citilink Indonesia’s fleet of Airbus A320 family aircraft. This collaboration of four leading technology companies will enable Citilink to provide a unique…

April 10, 2018 – AsiaSat announced an expansion and renewal agreement with Speedcast to utilise multiple C- and Ku-band transponders on the brand new AsiaSat 9. This upgrade will enhance high quality managed network services for Speedcast’s global customers in the Mobility, Maritime, Energy, Enterprise and Government sectors, and for cellular backhaul solutions to emerging…

April 6, 2018 – NAGRA, a Kudelski Group company and a leading independent provider of content protection and multiscreen television solutions, announced that its NexGuard watermarking solution for pay-TV was selected by Korean satellite broadcaster KT Skylife. This partnership allows KT Skylife to meet forensic watermarking requirements mandated by MovieLabs’ Enhanced Content Protection for premium…

April 6, 2018 – SES announced that John-Paul Hemingway has been appointed as CEO of SES Networks with effect from 5 April 2018, succeeding Steve Collar who officially takes on his new position as President & CEO of SES. In his new function, Hemingway will join the Executive Committee of SES which then comprises Steve…

April 5, 2018 – Arianespace has successfully launched two telecommunications satellites: DSN-1/Superbird-8 for SKY Perfect JSAT; and HYLAS 4 for Avanti Communications. Arianespace’s third launch of the year took place on April 5, 2018 from the Guiana Space Center (CSG), Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. Superbird-8 will provide telecom services, primarily for the Japanese market,…

April 5, 2018 – Eutelsat Communications announced the order of a next-generation VHTS satellite system named KONNECT VHTS, to support the development of its European fixed broadband and in-flight connectivity businesses. The satellite, which is due to enter into service in 2021, will be built by Thales Alenia Space which will develop a satellite and…

April 5, 2018 – SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation (SJC) announced the launch of SJC’s next-generation maritime broadband service “OceanBB plus” in partnership with KVH mini-VSAT broadband. “OceanBB plus” provides faster connectivity and wider service coverage compared to SJC’s current “OceanBB” service. “OceanBB plus” has two rate plans; one is the Flat Plan with the speed…

March 27, 2018 – Iridium Communications announced that Speedcast has signed an agreement to become a land-mobile service provider for its next-generation satellite broadband technology, Iridium Certus. Speedcast joins a world-class group of service providers and will help further expand the Iridium Certus footprint. Designed for on-the-move vehicles, assets and teams, Iridium Certus will support…

March 26, 2018 – Spacecom announced it has chosen SSL to build its AMOS-8 advanced communications satellite. The satellite will deliver state-of-the-art broadcast, broadband and data services from Spacecom’s 4°degrees West ‘hot spot’ to Europe, Africa and the Middle East. AMOS-8 will include flexible high power Ku-band and Ka-band payloads with steerable antennas to enable…

March 26, 2018 – SSL announced that it was selected as a trusted partner to provide a broadcasting satellite for Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT). As the leading broadcasting satellite operator in Japan, B-SAT will use the Direct-to-Home (DTH) television satellite to ensure exceptional ultra-high definition video distribution for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. SSL provided…

March 23, 2018 – Globecomm will introduce an integrated solution set of acceleration, optimization, fronthaul, switching, and backhaul capabilities to support the 3G/4G evolution to the emerging 5G standard. Globecomm’s solutions enable carriers to extend mobility cost-effectively and profitably into rural, remote, and underserved regions, where the standard fiber-to-the-base-station architecture is challenged. The company has…

March 22, 2018 – True Digital Park, dubbed to become Southeast Asia’s largest digital hub, announced its partnership with satellite technology startup mu Space Corp to operate a lab (open lab) that will research and develop satellite and space technology. The partnership will also be the co-innovation opportunities for satellite-based communication services. True Digital Park…

March 21, 2018 – Thaicom Public Company Limited announced the signature of a multi-year contract with CANAL+ Overseas Myanmar, the CANAL+ subsidiary in charge of broadcasting internationally and in Myanmar. CANAL+ is part of Vivendi SA, one of the largest media companies based in France. The contract is part of CANAL+ Myanmar’s launch of a…

March 20, 2018 – Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat) and Television New Zealand (TVNZ) have collaborated to deliver live coverage of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games via AsiaSat 5. This collaboration is integral to TVNZ’s extensive plan of providing the largest-ever free to air coverage of the Games in New Zealand and enabling…

March 15, 2018 – Airbus has launched the OPTIMA project, which will deliver a proof of concept demonstrator for the use of photonic payloads in telecommunications satellites. The OPTIMA project, which is led by Airbus Defence and Space in Stevenage and part of Horizon 2020 funded by the European Commission, comprises specialist partners from across…

March 15, 2018 – ILS has announced multiple launch assignments for Proton Medium launches that will include the use of both the 4.35 meter and the new 5.2 meter payload fairing. The missions will take place beginning in late 2019 from Pad 24 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Proton Medium launch vehicle is…

March 15, 2018 – The U.S. Air Force awarded rocket launch competitors SpaceX and United Launch Alliance each hundreds of millions of dollars in new satellite contracts, the Department of Defense announced. SpaceX won a $291 million fixed-price contract to launch a military GPS III satellite by March 2020 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, with…