September 2014

Google Glass with frame. Photo: Mikepanhu/Wikimedia [Via Satellite 09-15-2014] Avanti Communications has created an app for Google Glass that works alongside the company’s proprietary Avanti Mobile Assist (AMA) app released earlier this year. The Google Glassware app provides users with the relative location of Hylas 1 and Hylas 2 satellites with hands-free alignment for satellite…

Eutelsat 8 West B’s predicted Ku-band MENA coverage. Photo: Eutelsat [Via Satellite 09-15-2014] Egyptian satellite operator Nilesat has leased multiple transponders on Eutelsat 8 West B, slated to launch in mid-2015. The deal will expand Nilesat’s operational flexibility and improve signal integrity for client broadcasters in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Currently…

CPI’s 100 W C-band GaN-based Solid State BUC. Photo: CPI [Via Satellite 09-15-2014] Communications & Power Industries’ (CPI) Satcom Products group has released a 100-Watt C-band solid state Block Upconverter (BUC), based on Gallium Nitride (GaN). The new device complements existing Ku-band and X-band GaN BUC’s from CPI and, according to the company, is almost…

SpaceQuest AprizeSats aboard a Dnepr rocket. Photo: SpaceQuest [Via Satellite 09-12-2014] Small satellite manufacturer SpaceQuest is looking to accelerate the pace of launches for its satellites. In December 2013 the company launched AprizeSat 7 and AprizeSat 8, and in June 2014 it launched two more satellites. But the limited availability of cost-effective launch options for…

Photo: iSAT Africa [Via Satellite 09-12-2014] Direct-to-Home (DTH) provider iSAT Africa reached an agreement with Eutelsat for Ku-band capacity on the Eutelsat 70B and C-band capacity on the Eutelsat 3B. The company began using Ku-band capacity Sept. 1 to broadcast Free-to-Air (FTA) digital channels throughout Kenya and East Africa. iSAT Africa plans to use the…

SES TechCom and ESP execs. Photo: SES [Via Satellite 09-12-2014] EuroSkyPark (ESP), a satellite connectivity provider for energy and security, has entered a comprehensive partnership agreement with SES TechCom for Ku-band capacity on Astra 3B. The company, which has grown by restructuring energy generation and supply networks in Western Europe, intends to use the new…

An area in the Philippines impacted by Typhoon Haiyan. Photo: Disaster Tech Lab [Via Satellite 09-12-2014] Disaster Tech Lab, a non-profit dedicated to restoring connectivity in disaster-affected areas, is recruiting volunteers for a second trip to the Philippines. The organization conducted the first deployment following Typhoon Haiyan, establishing multiple Wi-Fi access points and installing a fixed…

Africa portion of Amos 5 Ku-band West-Central Beam [Via Satellite 09-12-2014] Senegal-based Excaf Telecom has signed a multi-year agreement with Spacecom for Ku-band capacity on the Amos 5 satellite. The company has plans to build a nation-wide digital terrestrial television network using the capacity. Excaf said it will broadcast the original signal will from Senegal’s…

A Sony 4K TV at CES. Photo: John.Karakatsanis [Via Satellite 09-12-2014] Korea Telecom (KT) has begun offering one of South Korea’s first 4K Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) services to the home. The company selected Broadcom’s encoding and decoding technology to enable 4K delivery at 60 Frames Per Second (FPS) in 10-bit color. Content is available…

Intelsat 21′s C-band western hemisphere beam. Photo: Intelsat [Via Satellite 09-12-2014] HBO Latin America (HBO LAG) has entered a new multi-year, multi-transponder agreement with Intelsat to leverage three satellite video neighborhoods for broadcasting throughout Latin America. The company plans to use Intelsat 21 at 302 degrees east, Intelsat 11 at 317 degrees east, and later…