News & Events

A StarTimes shop in Africa. Photo: StarTimes [Via Satellite 06-02-2015] China’s StarTimes has contracted additional capacity on SES’ SES 5 satellite at 5 degrees east to bolster Direct-to-Home (DTH) services in Africa. StarTimes currently provides English-language DTH content to viewers across the continent and has more than 5 million Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) and DTH…

Newtec Dialog Hubs. Photo: Newtec [Via Satellite 06-02-2015] Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS) has purchased a Newtec 4IF dialog hub for one of its regional teleport facilities in Asia to launch next generation Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) and data services. The first installation is scheduled for completion in July 2015. The Newtech Dialog multiservice platform…

John Paffett, CEO of SST-US. Photo: SST-US [Via Satellite 06-01-2015] Surrey Satellite Technology-US (SST-US), the United States-based subsidiary of Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL), anticipates increasing its headcount around eightfold by 2020 as the company grows its presence in the U.S. small satellite sector. Roughly two years ago, the company moved to its current headquarters…

The BT Tower in London, United Kingdom. Photo: Simon & His Camera (Flickr) [Via Satellite 06-01-2015] BT Group has renewed and expanded services on three Intelsat satellites — Intelsat 10-02 located at 1 degree west, Intelsat 805 at 55.5 degrees west, and Intelsat 19 at 166 degrees east — to distribute programming for BBC World Service.…

Photo: ebayink (Flickr) [Via Satellite 06-01-2015] Thaicom, in partnership with a joint venture between Kantana Group and Intouch Holdings, is launching a second screen platform in Thailand, starting with the TV show Gossip Girl. Channel 3 Television Network, one of Thailand’s largest broadcasters, is licensed to transmit the U.S. show, which will begin airing in early…

A TTCL wall graphic. Photo: Avanti [Via Satellite 06-01-2015] Avanti Communications has signed a new contract with Tanzania Telecommunications Company Ltd (TTCL), for satellite broadband via the operator’s Hylas 2 satellite. The contract will expand TTCL’s high-speed broadband network to customers beyond the reach of fiber. TTCL is the incumbent national telecoms operator of Tanzania.…

Orbit Communications’ OceanTRx 7. Photo: Orbit [Via Satellite 06-01-2015] Orbit Communication Systems has received an order for multiple OceanTRx 7-500 Ka-Band SatCom systems to an emerging Ka-band global satellite service provider. The company’s SatCom systems will be installed on board cruise ships, and follows previous orders for Orbit equipment already installed on other large cruise…

New Mexico’s Spaceport America. Photo: Spaceport America [Via Satellite 05-29-2015] X2nSat has announced future plans to build a satellite gateway at Spaceport America, which may signal the beginning of a revival for the embattled New Mexico facility. The companies have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the satellite communications provider to enter into a…

SSTL’s new Satellite Operations Center. Photo: SSTL [Via Satellite 05-29-2015] Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) opened its recently completed Spacecraft Operations Center (SOC) this week ahead of a series of satellite launches. Four SSTL-built satellites are slated to launch in the coming months and the company plans to inaugurate the facility during the first phase…

The Sentinel 1B satellite’s antenna. Photo: Airbus Defence and Space. [Via Satellite 05-29-2015] Airbus Defence and Space has shipped the Sentinel 1B satellite’s C-band radar instrument to prime contractor Thales Alenia Space (TAS) Italy for integration and testing. Once complete, the Copernicus-program satellite is scheduled for launch in 2016, following which it will join the…