June 2015

SES Playout Center. Photo: SES [Via Satellite 06-12-2015] SES Platform Services, a subsidiary of SES, released a service called FLUIDMedia at Anga Com 2015 which allows companies that produce or distribute video content to streamline conversion and deliver it to Internet or Video-on-Demand (VOD) platforms. The new SES service gives users the ability to control…

Hughes’ Spaceway 3 Ka-band satellite system helps establish connectivity during an emergency situation such as a hurricane. Photo: Hughe [Via Satellite 06-12-2015] Hughes Network Systems has announced the availability of Hughes Emergency Services, a suite of satellite network solutions for emergency preparedness, restoral and post-event response. Hughes Emergency Services delivers high-speed downloads from 5 Mbps…

[Via Satellite 06-12-2015] Unitron Group of Belgium has purchased MaxLinear’s MxL801 dual-polarity Ku-band satellite down-conversion RF Integrated Circuit (IC), and the MxL862 32-channel, Full-Spectrum Capture (FSC) channel-stacking system on chip (SoC) for a new direct-broadcast satellite Digital Outdoor Unit (D-ODU). The MxL801 Ku-band RF IC is a fully integrated monolithic Ku-band down-converter implemented in pure…

Executives from GEE, Advantech Wireless, Panasonic Avionics, Rockwell Collins and Thales Live TV at the Global Connected Aircraft Summit. Photo: Vince Lim [Via Satellite 06-11-2015] As airlines grapple with ways to draw the most value from passenger connectivity, a fully free service is likely to stay out of reach for some time. In-Flight Connectivity (IFC)…

The Hispasat 1E satellite. Photo: Hispasat [Via Satellite 06-11-2015] Hispasat and Spanish telecom startup Syntelix have teamed up to create a maritime service known as uSAIL. The broadband service, built using a Hispasat-owned Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) iDirect Evolution platform, has a cloud ecosystem and is designed to meet the seasonal nature and specific…

Signalhorn’s Backnang, Germany headquarters. Photo: Signalhorn [Via Satellite 06-11-2015] Signalhorn has signed agreements with new and existing customers for satellite services in the South Pacific, the Republic of Congo, and the Middle East. In the South Pacific, one of the company’s main maritime telecommunications customers has signed an upgrade for its maritime Virtual Network Operator…

ViaSat corporate headquarters in Carlsbad, Calif. Photo: ViaSat [Via Satellite 06-11-2015] ViaSat has purchased Engreen, a privately held company focused on network virtualization. According to ViaSat, Engreen’s flagship virtualization product provides a path to enhance network management, lower capital expenses, energy and real estate, and minimize overall network complexity. Through the acquisition, ViaSat expects to…

Sentech Tower at sunset, Johannesburg South Africa. Photo: Avanti [Via Satellite 06-11-2015] Avanti Communications has signed a new multi-year contract with South African telecommunications enterprise Sentech. The state-owned enterprise delivers satellite broadband connectivity to South Africa’s public sector at scale, across hundreds of public state institutions and government sites. Avanti is providing Ka-band capacity from…

Panelist at the “Ku-band vs. Ka-band: Pros and Cons of Each Band” session at the GCA Summit. Photo: Vince Lim [Via Satellite 06-10-2015] The aviation industry’s need for greater connectivity is having a more prominent impact on satellite operators’ decision-making process as they evaluate designs for future spacecraft. Speaking June 9 at the Global Connected…

Spire’s Silicon Valley office. Photo: Spire [Via Satellite 06-10-2015] Scottish Enterprise, the international investment and trade promotion agency of the Scottish government, has awarded up to $2.9 million in grants to Spire. The new funds will support the opening of a new office in Glasgow, Scotland along with further international growth. Spire plans to double…