On February 25th a Northrop Grumman-built ‘Mission Extension Vehicle’ (MEV) successfully mated with Intelsat 901 and performed a Space Tug rescue mission, and gave the potential zombie satellite another five years of valuable life in orbit. The move seems to have impressed the US Government’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) which has selected Northrop […]

“OK,” you might say if you were a satellite operator. “We’ve lost this battle, but we can still win the war.” The FCC and C-Band Alliance machinations have been the primary focus for the satellite industry for the best part of 3 years. The rationale for a major ‘win-win-win’ for the US-focused satellite sector is […]

A report to clients by investment bank Exane/BNPP states that the company’s decision to cut by 50 per cent its dividend to shareholders (to €0.40) looks like a “draconian measure”. Sami Kassab, Exane’s satellite analyst, issued an “outperform” rating on SES based on the pretty miserable closing price on March 2nd at €7.26 – and […]

Investment bank Jefferies issued its report on the SES results and advised investors to “read between the lines”. While admitting that the day “was painful” for the company, analyst Giles Thorne added: “In our view, [the day] will be looked upon in time as the day SES signalled structural solutions to its structural problems, namely: […]

SES has confirmed it is looking at restructuring its fast-growing ‘Networks’ division into a separate business. The decision, and potential shape of the plan, is not yet finalised but one option open to SES is to spin it off completely via an Initial Public Offering. However, the cutting of its Dividend by 50 per cent […]

Sir Richard Branson’s passenger-carrying and satellite launching space plane Virgin Galactic is again postponing its entry into commercial service. On February 25th it announced greater than expected losses on a year’s trading. It reported a net loss of $73 million for the quarter on quarterly revenues of just $529,000. Consensus from analysts was for a […]

There are times when our regulators need both a tough hide and the wisdom of Solomon as they get to rule on complex demands. Making a wrong decision could prove to be a nightmare. Even making the right decision might lead to severe complaints and long-lasting legal problems. For those satellite operators controlling spectrum over […]

Over 50 per cent of UK homes are now signed up to OTT services, according to BARB data released last week. This suggests there could be problems ahead for ITV, the UK’s main commercial broadcaster. The numbers are staggering with 27 million UK homes accessing one or more OTT services (led by Netflix with 12.35 […]

Despite the continuing challenges being faced by Intelsat, one analyst says he senses a “more optimistic tone” from the company. Giles Thorne, an analyst at investment bank Jefferies, said that Intelsat is guiding overall revenues for this full year at $1.93-$1.98 billion which would represent a 5 per cent fall over 2019. The segment showing […]

Sami Kassab, a satellite analyst at investment bank Exane/BNPP, commenting on the disagreements between Intelsat and SES – the core members of the C-Band Alliance (CBA) – says in his view the CBA has “fallen apart”. An SES statement, issued February 20th, read: “[We are] disappointed by Intelsat’s eleventh-hour attempt to renounce its commitments made […]