Satellite services demand In this article by US consultancy Futron Corporation, present and future trends sweeping the satellite services industry are explored. Click here for the full story

Qantas Airways to evaluate new technology to permit use of wireless electronic devices and cell phones inflight
Qantas Airways said it would introduce new technology early next year that will enable customers to send and receive e-mails, text messages and make calls on mobile phones or personal electronic devices. The evaluation will be conducted in the first quarter of 2007 during a three-month trial on Australian domestic routes operated with Boeing 767 aircraft...

Fraunhofer Institute to develop core elements of ONDAS Satellite Media System
ONDAS Media, (ONDAS) the premier satellite media company for Europe, which specialises in providing comprehensive digital services for consumers on the move, announced it has awarded the contract to design and develop the core RF and Waveform approach for ONDAS’ European satellite media system to The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Institute (FHG), Germany...

ProtoStar secures Series B funding and appoints former Hughes Executive as Chairman
ProtoStar Ltd., a Bermuda corporation with its primary operations based in San Francisco, has received a commitment for a $40 million Series B round of financing from an impressive venture capital syndicate that together manages more than $10.3 billion in committed capital. VantagePoint Venture Partners of San Bruno, California led the round with participation from existing equity investors, New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and RedShift Ventures...

ND SatCom's SkyRAY takes-off for high flight at IBC 2006
ND SatCom, an SES ASTRA company and a leading global supplier of satellite-based broadband VSAT, broadcast, government and defence communication network solutions, announced at IBC 2006 that the Greek systems integrator BLK has awarded them a contract for a SkyRAY antenna subsystem. BLK will further integrate ND SatCom components such as a 400 Watt Ku-band amplifier and an encoder into a Kia Sorento and finally deliver the SNG vehicle to a Greek broadcaster. No financial details have been disclosed...

McFarland joins Edward W Kelley and Partners
Theodore A. “Ted” McFarland, a veteran executive of the satellite, cable and media industries, has joined the global executive search firm of Edward W Kelley & Partners as a Vice President of its Technology Practice...

Globecomm Systems announces Fiscal 2006 Fourth Quarter and Record Fiscal Year 2006 Financial Results
Revenues for the Company's fiscal 2006 fourth quarter increased 32.9% to a record $35.5 million, compared to $26.7 million in the same period last year. Revenues from ground segment systems, networks and enterprise solutions increased by 36.7% to $28.6 million driven primarily by demand in the government marketplace...

Lockheed Martin announces sale of its interests in ILS and LKEI
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has announced the proposed sale of its ownership interests in Lockheed Khrunichev Energia International, Inc. (LKEI) and ILS International Launch Services, Inc. (ILS) to Space Transport Inc. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed...

Globecomm awarded multi-year video services contract by DTH provider Gulfsat
Globecomm (NASDAQ: GCOM-News), a global provider of end-to-end satellite-based communications solutions, announced that the company has been awarded a three-year satellite services contract by Gulfsat, one of the Middle East’s largest satellite service providers and operator of DTH services from its base in Kuwait...

DOF selects Telenor for satellite communications modernisation
Telenor Satellite Services, a subsidiary of Telenor of Norway (Oslo Stock Exchange: TEL and NASDAQ: TELN), announced that it has signed an agreement with DOF ASA of Storebø, Norway, to provide maritime broadband communications on board more than 20 vessels of the DOF fleet...

Intelsat, Telespazio and Hughes Europe launch new satellite broadband service
Intelsat, Telespazio and Hughes Network Systems Europe (Hughes Europe) announced they are cooperating in the launch of a new satellite broadband service platform to provide high-quality broadband IP connectivity, primarily serving Italian corporations with locations in Eastern Europe. Each location will be equipped with a Hughes very small aperture terminal (VSAT) to access satellite broadband service with guaranteed levels of service...

Dan Goldberg Is stepping down as President and CEO of SES NEW SKIES
SES GLOBAL announced that Dan Goldberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of SES NEW SKIES, is leaving the company to pursue another professional opportunity. Andrew M. Browne, the CFO of SES NEW SKIES, will serve as acting CEO until a successor to Mr. Goldberg will be appointed. Mr. Goldberg’s departure will be effective as of September 15, 2006...

Boeing selected for U.S. Army worldwide satellite systems programme
The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has been selected by the U.S. Army as one of six contractors to provide satellite communications systems and services for the World-Wide Satellite Systems program under a five-year, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract valued at up to $5 billion...

Andrew expands MilSatCom offerings with GigaSat Antenna Products
Andrew Corporation and GigaSat Limited have signed a multiyear agreement that makes Andrew the exclusive OEM provider of GigaSat's flyaway antenna family in North America...

SWE-DISH Small Satellite Terminal Solution now available with MPEG-4 video from Envivio
Envivio Inc., a leading technology provider of IP-based MPEG-4 video solutions for telcos, enterprises, and broadcasters and SWE-DISH Satellite Systems AB, a world-leading supplier of mobile satellite communications equipment and related services for broadband applications announced the immediate availability of a solution to provide IP broadband and broadcast quality MPEG-4 video...

ARABSAT, ASBU and Newtec sign partnership for MENOS project
Arabsat (Arab Satellite Telecommunications Organization), the leading satellite operator in the Middle East and North Africa region, based in Saudi-Arabia, the ASBU (Arab States Broadcasting Union), based in Tunisia, and Newtec, based in Belgium, announced they have signed a major partnership for the progressive deployment of their MENOS project...