New System Predicts Solar Storms – But ESA Says Satellites Are Safe
TG Daily The next major solar storms are expected in 2012 and 2013 as part of the sun’s 11-year weather cycle. A 2008 US National Academy of Sciences report estimated that modern reliance on electronics and satellite communications means a major storm could cause twenty times more economic damage than Hurricane Katrina. Topics: broadband, satellite
Construction Begins On Eastern Ontario’s Broadband Mega-Network
TMC.Net Ontario’s largest rural broadband network is ready to begin construction. The high-speed Internet infrastructure project will connect with local delivery systems to expand service to an estimated one million residents and businesses in Eastern Ontario. Topics: broadband, telecom, Canada, construction, satellite
Will Satellite Broadband Crash?
Business Spectator With rural policy now front and centre in determining the country’s political future, the most overlooked element of broadband policy – satellite broadband – needs a rethink to win the support of the three independents seeking a better deal for those in the bush. It seems that the roles of both commercial operators [...]
Spacenet Ges $7.5 Million Grant to Bring Broadband Service to Alaska, Hawaii
TMC.Net The federal grant will allow Spacenet to provide broadband service to rural unserved markets in Alaska and Hawaii through its “StarBand Open Skies” initiative. Spacenet will offer its StarBand broadband-over-satellite service to these regions for $0 down, including equipment and standard installation, and an entry-level monthly service fee of $50. Topics: satellite, Spacenet, broadband
ICO Loses Judicial Review Against Ofcom; May Lose Spectrum Assignments
Satellite Today ICO Global Communications has lost its judicial review action against the U.K. Office of Communications regulator Ofcom, which the company filed in 2009 after Ofcom announced its intent to request that the ITU remove ICO’s global medium-Earth orbit satellite system from the… Topics: broadband, U.K., orbit, telecom, satellite
FCC Responds to Comcast
Satellite Today Where there is a will there is a way… or a “third way” in U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) lingo. In its June 17 open meeting, the FCC released a Notice of Inquiry in order to re-examine the regulatory classification of broadband Internet. Topics: Comcast, broadband, satellite, Federal Communications Commission, telecom, FCC
New Satellite Service For Middle East and Southwest Asia
TMCnet Custom voice, video and data communications services will now be provided to clients in the Middle East and Southwest Asia by Star Satellite Communications Company PrJsc. Star Satellite Communications is a wholly owned subsidiary of Yahsat. Topics: government, broadband, satellite, launch
Vizada Activates VoIP Connection to Cut FleetBroadband Costs
Satellite Today Vizada has activated a voice-over-IP (VoIP) connection on its network to offer reduced cost of shore-ship communications via Inmarsat FleetBroadband terminals to its shipping customers. Topics: telecom, satellite, VoIP, broadband
Ariane 5 Set to Launch Arab and South Korean Satellites
Spaceflight Now Arabsat 5A multi-mission satellite will provide additional capacity at 30.5 degrees East for a large range of satellite communications services such as television backhauling and broadcasting, telephony, business communications, Internet trunking and the provision of VSAT and other interactive services, over the whole continent of Africa, Central Asia and Middle East region. Topics: [...]
Verizon Announces One-Month Free FiOS Service to Existing Customers
TMCnet Verizon Communications announced it will offer free one month FiOS Internet and television subscription to its customers, meaning the company will not charge any fees if customers terminate their services after a month. The new offer is one of the company’s strategies to hold its customers back, given the uncertainty surrounding the economy, finds [...]
Thaicom: ‘Won’t Hurt Singapore Ties’
Bangkok Post The plan to buy back Thaicom Plc from Singapore’s Temasek Holdings would not hurt relations between Thailand and Singapore, Information and Communications Technology Minister Juti Krairiksh said on Tuesday morning. “There’s no problem with getting a budget to buy back Thaicom, and the ties between the two countries won’t be affected as they [...]
Asia’s Top Satellite Leaders Assess Broadband Prospects
Satellite Today Satellite broadband generally has been a hot topic at satellite events throughout the past several years. In the United States, Hughes and WildBlue (now owned by ViaSat) have close to 1 million subscribers, and SES Astra and Eutelsat also are targeting a better performance in… Topics: Asia, broadband, telecom, Hughes, United States, satellite
Iridium Gets $2.9B For Satellite Project
Emii.com Iridium has received $2.9 billion financing for the launch of a new constellation of 81 satellites, Financial Times reports. Coface, the French export credit guarantee organization, has committed to guarantee $1.8 billion for the construction of the spacecraft. Topics: satellite, Iridium, broadband
Bell Canada Turbo HSPA+ Delivers High-Speed Wireless Internet
TMC.Net Bell today announced the new Turbo Hub for portable Internet access speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps on Bell Mobility’s HSPA+ mobile network. Offering landline voice service as well as in-home Internet access, Bell Turbo Hub is an ideal solution for rural and remote communities not already served by wireline broadband. Topics: satellite, wireless, [...]
Northrop Grumman Tests First Airborne Ka-Band Satellite Terminal
MarketWatch Northrop Grumman Corporation has successfully completed flight testing of an airborne satellite communications system, part of a network that will significantly enhance communications capabilities for warfighters. This represents the first airborne terminal system to be certified for connection to the Wideband Global Satellite (WGS). Topics: broadband, satellite, Washington
