Advanced Television

Broadband

CityFibre jobs boost for UK full fibre roll-out

CityFibre, the UK’s third national digital infrastructure platform, is initiating a three-year recruitment and training programme to provide up to 10,000 people with jobs upgrading the UK’s digital infrastructure to full fibre. The Government has made the nationwide deployment of full fibre by 2025 a key target. According to CiyFibre, this critical initiative will underpin […]

June 11, 2020By Colin Mann

SpaceX plans Starlink launch on June 12

SpaceX is planning its third launch in just two weeks for June 12th, although as always, it is subject to the Florida weather. SpaceX intends to place another 60 of its Starlink satellites into orbit. Launch time is currently at 05.30-05.45 on Friday morning (Florida time). The launch will be the ninth mission for the […]

June 11, 2020By Chris Forrester

FCC approves LEO operators to bid for rural funding

The FCC, somewhat unusually, seems to have changed its mind and it is the world’s operators of Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites which could benefit. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said on June 9th that the Commission had changed the text on its draft order. “We did accommodate a request from a commissioner (Commissioner O’Rielly) to […]

June 11, 2020By Chris Forrester

CommScope speed boost for Vodafone

Communications technology specialist CommScope has confirmed that more than one million Vodafone Germany subscribers are using CommScope’s DOCSIS 3.1 TouchstoneTG3442 Gateway in their homes, enabling download speeds of up to 1Gbit/s. These customers have opted for next generation broadband technology, DOCSIS 3.1, enabling them to take advantage of emerging technologies such as cloud gaming, virtual […]

June 11, 2020

Portugal: Highest pay-TV sub growth since 2016

Portugal saw the highest growth in pay-TV subscribers in the past four years, reaching 4.1 million at the end of March 2020. According to data released by the National Communications Authority (Anacom), more than 160,000 new pay-TV subscribers were added in the period January-March, corresponding to a 4 per cent growth on the same period […]

June 10, 2020From Branislav Pekic in Rome

Intelsat wins access to $1bn

Intelsat is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is restructuring itself. On June 9th, it gained bankruptcy court approval to access a $1 billion loan under ‘debtor in possession’ rules and post-petition financing. Judge Keith Phillips granted Intelsat immediate access to $500 million (out of the $1 billion) in order to keep its day-to-day operations going […]

June 10, 2020By Chris Forrester

Musk targets 100 people per Starship

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is normally focused on launching satellites into orbit, plus a couple of astronauts now and again. But now he is targeting his all-new ‘Starship’ super-rocket, and flights carrying up to 100 people. Musk’s Starship is the vehicle which he wants to use to get missions to the Moon, and eventually Mars. He […]

June 10, 2020

FTTH Council Europe sets out priorities

During its first virtual General Assembly, trade body the FTTH Council Europe adopted its work programme and priorities and elected new Board members and Work Committee Chairs. The European Commission recently presented an ambitious recovery plan for the EU economy also focusing on green and digital transformations. According to the FTTH Council Europe, the past […]

June 10, 2020By Colin Mann

Report: Satcoms will recover, but investment needed

A report from Northern Sky Research (NSR) forecasts an eventual recovery for the satellite communications (satcom) market from the Covid-19 virus, but it is going to take time and investment to get back to normality. NSR says that the Covid-19 challenges will have a “deep impact” in the short to medium terms, which it expresses […]

June 10, 2020By Chris Forrester

Testronic, Witbe sign strategic partnership

Witbe, a specialist in Quality of Experience Testing and Monitoring and Testronic experts in international quality assurance (QA), localisation QA, and compliance for the film, television and games industries, have signed a strategic partnership to develop automated QA and Quality of Experience (QoE) services to platforms and content owners. Witbe has developed a technology based […]

June 10, 2020