HISPASAT satellite broadband solution powers Mars Spanish Mission sims

A HISPASAT-provided satellite broadband solution will ensure the Mars Spanish Mission enjoys high-quality web access and communications during its simulations.

The preliminary phase of the first Spanish simulated Mars colonization mission will take place in the Sierra Jubierre in Aragon, Spain from April 4 to 7, 2013. The final mission will be held in the U.S. province of Utah in 2014.

The researchers at the scientific camp will leverage HISPASAT's satellite broadband services and equipment to maintain communications with the Mission Support Center based at the European Business and Innovation Center (CEEI) in Zaragoza.

HISPASAT's satellite broadband solution grants the Mars Spanish Mission access to high-powered Internet from satellite connectivity wherever they may be the world, including areas outside the reach of terrestrial networks. The Company's services are supported by more than 4,000 dedicated satellite antennas in Spanish territory, cementing HISPASAT's command of the residential satellite broadband market in Spain.

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SS/L will build Jupiter 2/EchoStar XIX Ka-band broadband satellite for Hughes

An announcement from Hughes Network Systems, LLC made it known that Space Systems/Loral will be building the JUPITER 2/EchoStar XIX satellite. The new Ka-band broadband satellite will possess the highest capacity in the world and will be used by HughesNet high-speed Internet by satellite service.

Jupiter 2/EchoStar XIX will have over 150 Gbps throughput, half again as much as the earlier, SSL-built, Hughes-operated satellite EchoStar XVII launched on July 5, 2012. Like its predecessor, the new Hughes satellite will employ a next-generation architecture. More than 120 spot beams will deliver high quality satellite broadband coverage across the United States and parts of Canada during its expected service lifetime of 15 years.

Once the JUPITER 2/EchoStar XIX enters commercial service in 2016, it will be leveraged by HughesNet, the largest high-speed Internet by satellite service in the world with 659,000 subscribers as of the end of 2012. HughesNet will use the new capacity to drive further growth in North America.

CETel Announced Long-Term Extension For Capacity Lease With Arabsat's 5A

One of the leading providers of global communication solutions via satellite, CETel, announced its commitment and extend a part of its capacity lease with Arabsat on the satellites Arabsat 5A at orbital position 30.5° East and Arabsat 5C at orbital position 20° East.

With CETel's extending its capacity lease with Arabsat, it will help in enlarging Geolink's and its own VSAT satellite networks. Also, it will serve the growing demand in the EMEA markets.

CETel detects growing interest in maritime VSAT operations and oil and gas networks. The global communication solution giant currently provides uplink services from 9.3m/9.0m antennas from its teleport facilities in Germany and combines the coverage over Africa and the Middle East into a service based on European-based teleport fibre networks.

Managing Director, CETel, Guido Neumann comments, “For nearly a decade, CETel and Arabsat have built a strong and reliable partnership, that combines CETel’s technical expertise and quality service with Arabsat’s excellent satellite fleet to meet the demand of the of the Middle East and African markets.”


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TS2 offers satellite internet access in Afghanistan via Hylas 2

TS2 Satellite Technologies now delivers satellite Internet service in Afghanistan, thanks to Avanti’s Hylas 2 satellite. The Orbital Sciences’ built-spacecraft, specifically designed for broadband communications, is outfitted with Ka bandwidth transponders that allows bidirectional data transmission and additional services for individuals, government agencies and corporations in rapidly growing international markets. Moreover, TS2 will also introduce commercial links in selected African and East European nations, including Poland.

Launched on August of last year, Avanti’s Hylas 2 satellite is positioned an orbital slot at 31 degrees east. Hylas 2 has an estimated life of more than 15 years and is equipped with 24 Ku-band transmitting and six receiving transponders. The satellite also has a throughput of about three times as high as that of Hylas 1.

With the help of Hylas 2, TS Satellite Technologies can now offer access to the Internet and all IP services independently via terrestrial connections; VPN, VoIP and videoconferencing connections; backbone and corporate network solutions; and backhaul satellite solutions for GSM networks to extend cellular telephony reach.

ViaSat reports better than expected sales for 2013 3Q

ViaSat, a well-known direct broadcast satellite television broadcaster and pay TV operator, is happy to announce that the company’s shares increased by 24 percent after it reported sales and earnings that are even better than expected for the third quarter. For this period, ViaSat reached a revenue worth $286.4 million -- going past the $265.7 million predicted by experts.

Aside from the boom in earnings, the company also reported profits worth $1.8 million, which contradicts analysts who had forecasted a loss in earnings for the quarter. As a result, Needham & Co. raised ViaSat’s rating from “hold” to “buy.” On Thursday, the company’s shares rose from $9.55 to close at $49.29 on the Nasdaq.

ViaSat’s winnings mostly came from its defense and satellite broadband businesses. Its satellite Internet business wrapped up the quarter with $38,000 more subscribers compared to the previous quarter. Most of the increase was attributed to the distribution offer with DirecTV.

The company ended the quarter with a backlog of $939 million -- $364 million more than the same quarter of 2012.

Honywell orders Ka-band transceivers from Wavestream for GX satellite Internet

Honeywell recently awarded an exclusive contract to Wavestream for the provision of Ka-band transceivers that will be integrated into the airborne antenna systems of the Inmarsat Global Xpress (GX) in-flight satellite Internet network. Wavestream will begin scaled production of the transceivers in 2014.

Honeywell is in charge of the development and distribution of on-board hardware that allows users to access GX Aviation, a high speed Ka-band system from Inmarsat.

Wavestream is a wholly owned subsidiary of Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. It develops and deploys BUCs and amplifiers for military and commercial customers, who use its products for various satellite communications applications. The Company has deployed more than 5,000 of its Ka-band products during the last three years.

Wavestream implemented its patented Spatial advantEdge technology in its Ka-band transceiver family to create product packages for fixed, mobile, and flyaway antenna systems. The Company's amplifiers and BUCs are smaller and lighter than the norm yet possess high output power, superior efficiency, and improved reliability. Its products are carefully designed and thoroughly tested for operation in extreme environments, ensuring continuous connectivity for operations critical to national defense and demanding consumer broadband applications such as the GX satellite Internet solution.

SES, O3b enter satellite Internet capacity deal with Digicel in Papua New Guinea

A recent partnership between satellite operator SES and satellite service provider O3b Networks will provide satellite Internet capacity to Digicel, a mobile telcom operator based in Papua New Guinea.

Digicel is a long-term partner of SES. The telcom company will be using capacity from the NSS-9 satellite operated by SES, as well as the Medium Earth Orbit fleet run by O3b, to provide Internet on satellite bandwidth for its cellular network services in the Pacific island nation.

The contract with Digicel offers a unique connectivity solution featuring complementary geostationary satellites and Medium Earth Orbit satellites. The combination of the NSS-9 satellite's comprehensive coverage and the O3b constellation's high throughput and low latency allows Digicel to provide its customers in Papua New Guinea with cheap, efficient, andreliable cellular network services.

The cost-effective O3b solution supports Digicel's innovation of mobile services in the Pacific region by extending the local networks' coverage through O3b's satellite transport services.

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United Airlines now offers satellite-based Wi-Fi service onboard trans-oceanic flights

Major U.S air carrier United Airlines recently debuted its onboard satellite-based Wi-Fi internet service on the first of its international airplane, making the company the first U.S-based international airline to provide customers with connectivity services while traveling on long-haul, trans-oceanic routes.

The first trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific aircraft of United Airlines that will be equipped with Panasonic Avionics Corporation's Ku-band satellite technology is the Boeing 747. Moreover, United also equipped two Airbus 319 aircraft traveling domestic routes with Ku-band satellite Wi-Fi, allowing passengers to enjoy high-speed in-flight Internet service compared to air-to-ground technology (ATG). By the end of 2013, the U.S airline expects to finish installing satellite-based Wi-Fi on 300 mainline aircraft, including Airbus 320, Boeing 737, 747, 757, 767, 777 and 787.

In a company statement, Vice Chairman and Chief Revenue Officer Jim Compton said that by offering a satellite Internet service, it allows United Airlines to serve their passengers better and offer more than what they want in a global airline.

“With this new service, we continue to build the airline that customers want to fly,” Compton added.

United Airlines passengers can choose between two speeds -- Standard, which costs initially between $3.99 and $14.99, depending on the duration of the flight, and Accelerated, which costs initially between $5.99 and $19.99, offering faster download speeds compared to Standard.

In other news, United Airlines is on the process of upgrading its aircrafts with more than $500 million in additional onboard improvements, including the following:

1. Offering the world’s biggest aircraft fleet with flat-bed seats, with more than 175 airplanes outfitted with 180-degree flat beds in premium cabins once United finishes installing in the second quarter.

2. Expanding extra-legroom Economy Plus seating to provide the most such seating of any U.S airline.

3. Renewing the transcontinental “p.s” fleet of aircrafts that travel between Los Angeles and New York Kennedy and San Francisco, offering passengers with a better premium cabin experience with fully flat beds, Wi-Fi Internet service and personal on-demand entertainment at every seat.

4. Enhancing inflight entertainment options by providing streaming video content on the Boeing 747-400 fleet.

5. Installing overhead bins on 152 Airbus aircrafts, providing a considerably greater amount of storage for carry-on baggage.

Vivacom rolls out new satellite Internet packages in Bulgaria

Bulgarian telecommunications operator Vivacom is glad to announce that the company has launched two new satellite Internet packages directed at domestic enterprise users.

The new offer from Vivacom provides speeds of 18/6 Mbps and as much as 60 GB of monthly traffic. The Bulgarian telecom company said that it has made its satellite Internet service available to customers who live in remote and distant locations that have no telecommunication infrastructure.

Based on innovative satellite technology, the new satellite Internet service of Vivacom does not need the use of cables, the company said in a statement. With this offer, the company is positioned as an Internet service provider that has full Internet coverage all over Bulgaria as it now has the ability to provide Internet access even to locations lacking telecommunication infrastructure.

Gogo installs ATG-4, Internet from satellite in-flight solutions on new American Airlines aircraft

Gogo is installing two of its in-flight connectivity solutions -Ku-band Internet from satellite and the Company's new-generation Air to Ground-4 (ATG-4) technology- on the new deliveries of Airbus A320 family and Boeing 737 slated for use by American Airlines.

American Airlines aircraft equipped with the dual Gogo ATG-4/Internet fromsatellite solutions will be able to provide domestic and international passengers with flexible in-flight internet service no matter the aircraft's mission. Gogo will perform installations starting 2013 as American receives its new aircraft.

Gogo also installed in-flight Internet solutions on the MD-80 and Boeing 737, 757, and 767 aircraft in American Airlines' domestic fleet. Its systems currently equip more than 400 aircraft operated by American.

Telefonica taps Eutelsat KA-SAT capacity for satellite Internet services

A joint announcement by Telefonica Global Solutions and Eutelsat unveiled their new plan to provide European carriers with satellite Internet services via a high-performance Eutelsat KA-SAT satellite.

Telefonica will use capacity from the KA-SAT satellite to deliver satellite Internet solutions to carriers throughout Europe, including rural areas and urban belts that terrestrial broadband networks cannot reach. The satellite broadband service can also provide fully diversified backup solutions to areas that do have access to terrestrial broadband networks.

KA-SAT capacity allows Telefonica to update the satellite Internet services it provides to operators and corporations. This allows the company to maintain the high quality of their services while also keeping their prices competitive. In addition, KA-SAT serves as an additional access technology for M2M, iHealth, and other services.

SES introduces Internet Satellite JET Ka-band broadband solution in France

Satellite operator SES will be the first to deliver Internet Satellite JET, a satellite broadband solution capable of offering up to 20 MBps of speed, to consumers in France.

Internet Satellite JET leverages the SES Astra 2F satellite for Ka-band capacity. It can provide high-speed Internet by satellite connectivity, VoIP telephony, and High-Definition TV services.

It is distributed by France Telecom-Orange affiliate NordNet through new generation end-user terminals provided by Gilat Satellite Technologies.

SES can finally match the features and prices of terrestrial broadband services in Europe through the pioneering Internet Satellite Jet. SES intends to offer new Ka-band satellite broadband solution to consumers in remote locations in France who would find it most suitable for their needs.

Bulgarian Telecom Company Vivacom Boosts Satellite-Based Internet Services

Vivacom, a former state-owned Bulgarian monopoly, announced on December 11 that the company has increased their download speeds and made the monthly bandwidth allowance twice as high for its satellite-based internet services.

Due to the recent upgrade, the highest download speed available now via satellite has been increased to 18 mbps and up to 50GB of bandwidth every month is now being offered with packages. Prices for satellite internet connections at Vivacom start at $25.75 a month, with available coverage across the country.

This enhanced service intends to serve parts of the population who do not have access to traditional wired broadband, such as ADSL or high speed wireless alternatives.

Formerly known by the name Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTC), Vivacom was recently taken over by Russia’s VTB Capital and domestic financial institution Corporate Commercial Bank (CCBank).

US military supplier orders Advantech SCPC modems for A-SATTM VSAT

A major U.S. military supplier placed an order with Advantech AMT Corp. USA for $1.7 million worth of the Company's DISA Certified MIL-STD-188-165A, AMT73L SCPC Modem, which will be used to deliver secure satellite communications systems over the Discovery A-SATTM VSAT system.

The AMT73L is designed to fulfill two-way satellite communication requirements in Defence Satellite Communications Systems (DSCS) and Wideband Global SATCOM System (WGS).

The installed base of the AMT73L DISA Certified Modems can be overlaid by the Discovery A-SATTM VSAT platform. In addition, the DVB-RCS waveform can be incorporated into Discovery through the integration of SCPC networks.

The Advantech Wireless family of high throughput modems boast of high reliability and flexibility. The AMT75 platform can handle ASI HD Video, Telco, and IP interfaces while the FLS-100 allows these modems to achieve up to 155Mbps throughput through IPE.

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Gilat Satcom integrates XiPlink remote appliances into its satellite teleport

Israel-based communication solution provider Gilat Satcom recently announced that it is integrating XipLink remote appliances into its satellite teleport to accelerate its satellite Internet speeds and satellite communications throughput.

Gilat's satellite teleport will receive XipLink XA Appliances with XipLink Hub Optimizations (XHO) software. The XipLink solution will increase the teleport's quality of service without the need for expensive new hardware or software upgrades.

Thanks to the XipLink solution, Gilat Satcom will be able to provide ISPs and enterprises in Africa with a new level of cost-effective satellite communications services. This includes Internet by satellite services like web surfing, and movie streaming.

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O3b, Gulfsat Madagascar team up for Internet on satellite services

A long-term capacity deal between O3b Networks and Gulfsat Madagascar is expected to generate high-speed Internet on satellite and telephony services for residential and commercial customers in Madagascar.

The O3 Medium Earth Orbit satellite fleet will provide Gulfsat Madagascar with unlimited and affordable Ka-band capacity. The African telecom service provider will use this connectivity to deliver a wide range of Internet on satellite, voice, and data transmission services.

Gulfsat reported that consumers and businesses in Madagascar are highly interested in an affordable, fast, and reliable Internet solution. Its partnership with O3b Networks will optimize Internet on satellite access for customers in Africa.

Hughes Network Systems offering new satellite Internet solutions to government

Government agencies across the United States will now be able to avail of the new satellite Internet service plans from Hughes Network Systems, LLC, which can deliver speeds of up to 15Mbps to places with slow, expensive, or unavailable terrestrial Internet connections.

Hughes Internet Access Solutions leverage the recently-deployed EchoStar XVII satellite for capacity. The new-generation Ka-band satellite can deliver the fastest satellite Internet speeds the industry has witnessed through the multi-spot beam, bent-pipe architecture of JUPITER high-throughput technology.

In addition to download speeds of 10 or 15 Mbps, the Hughes Internet by satellite plans also offer a selection of generous data allowances that are just perfect for government customers. Hughes will provide all tiers with enterprise-grade equipment and assistance from the Company's service and support teams.

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Scottish MPs urge faster broadband Internet deployment in rural regions

MPs are pressing the Scottish government to speed up its part in the United Kingdom's planned deployment of broadband Internet infrastructure in rural regions suffering from slow ADSL connections.

The European Union recently approved of the United Kingdom's plan to deploy broadband on a national scale. Building on this auspicious development, MP Alan Reid (Argyll and Bute) urged both the government and the Highlands and Islands Enterprise to deploy broadband infrastructure at the soonest.

Minister David Mundell of the Scotland Office assured Mr Reid's concerns that he will galvanize the Scottish government and appropriate agencies to accelerate deployment of rural broadband services.

This assurance was not enough to quiet the concerns by other MPs. Michael Connarty, the MP for Linlithgow and East Falkirk, was of the opinion that the promised national network will not be able to cover the entire UK and will thus leave citizens out of the loop.

The growing demand for online connectivity in remote regions has spawned a number of solutions. For example, satellite Internet uses a satellite to provide connectivity and capacity to wide areas. This solution allows the provision of connectivity to some of the most remote or isolated places on Earth that cannot be reached by terrestrial networks. However, satellite Internet is usually slower and more expensive than fiber optic, and it is also negatively affected by inclement weather.

Hughes builds satellite broadband network for Mexican government

Hughes Network Systems won a $24-million contract with the Mexican Ministry of Communications and Transport for the construction of an 11,000-site satellite broadband network that will deliver high-speed satellite Internet and voice connectivity throughout Mexico.

Hughes will supply its HN System Network Operations Center and 11,000 broadband terminals to build the new network. It will also deliver and deploy data compression/optimization technology, fiber optic/Internet interconnection equipment, IP phones, and wireless access systems.

According to Mexican officials, the new satellite network will span the 32 states of Mexico. It will deliver satellite Internet, voice, and data services to community centers, government locations, hospitals, public calling offices, and schools in both accessible and remote regions.

Telecomunicaciones de Mexico will operate the Hughes-built broadband satellite network. A decentralized government office that manages Mexican telecommunications, Telecomunicaciones de Mexico possesses significant experience in satellite operations.

According to coordinator Monica Aspe Bernal of the Agency for Knowledge and Information of the SCT, Hughes Network Systems has proven its reliability as a provider of broadband satellite networks and services over the past 25 years. Hughes came out on top of other major satellite broadband equipment providers that participated in the open public competitive bid.