Advanced Television

Inside Satellite

Chris Forrester

Chris Forrester is one of the most experienced and highly regarded journalists in the field. His insight and analysis, particularly in the satellite and pay-TV arena, is highly prized. He has written for all the major business journals in the sector as well as several national newspapers.

Vodacom explains new Ethiopian business

Vodacom is part of a consortium that has won an operating licence for a cellular service in Ethiopia. The consortium is made up of acknowledged experts in the supply and operation of a telephone service and beat another applicant (MTN Grp) which was not successful. The Global Partnership consortium comprises includes Safaricom (in which Vodacom […]

September 15, 2021

Amazon complains to FCC about SpaceX

September 8th saw Amazon fire off another salvo to the FCC with a list of complaints about SpaceX and also citing a WSJ comment that Elon Musk wages a “war on regulators” and that Musk allegedly breaks the rules and endangers people. The Amazon letter to the FCC (and from its subsidiary Kuiper Systems) is […]

September 10, 2021

Musk “figuring out” India Starlink

Elon Musk says his team are busy “figuring out the regulatory approval process” for launching the Starlink broadband service over India. Musk was asked the question on Twitter as to when his service might start in India, and responded a few hours later. India could well be extra important in Starlink’s ambitions given that Bharti-backed […]

September 8, 2021

Intelsat’s key creditors “reserve rights”

A major suite of creditors of Intelsat (the Ad-Hoc/Convert Group) and which hold Intelsat’s 4.5 per cent convertible notes due 2025, are reserving their rights in Intelsat’s bankruptcy case. In a filing to the court on September 3rd, the group of creditors say that Intelsat have “repeatedly touted their goal to try to build further […]

September 7, 2021

Intelsat: Judge allows Creditors vote on Exit Plan

The major Omnibus hearing on September 1st of Intelsat’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy reconstruction ended with Judge Keith Phillips approving Intelsat’s disclosure statement pending the company’s organising of a vote from creditors for Intelsat’s bankruptcy Amended Exit Plan. According to the company some 80 per cent of Intelsat’s $15 billion of creditors holding its debt obligations […]

September 3, 2021

Intelsat: “Widespread but fragile consensus” achieved

In another day of significant motions filed into Intelsat’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy reconstruction proceedings, one 44-page document explained Intelsat’s current position regarding objections filed by other litigants. Another, consisting of 325 pages, adds further details while a 170 page document covers the formalities of Intelsat’s potential exist plan. SES has a similar suite of filings. […]

September 2, 2021

SES accuses Intelsat of “siphoning billions”

It has long been a complaint from SES that Intelsat, in its complex Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is using associate and sister businesses to shift incoming cash (and in particular the so-called incentive payments from the FCC over the C-band reallocation of spectrum). SES describes the Intelsat action as playing a “shell game” and that Intelsat […]

September 1, 2021

US Trustee objects Intelsat bankruptcy model

The judge in Intelsat’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy has already overruled the US Trustee’s strongly voiced objections to the future hearings in the Intelsat case being heard in private (‘under seal’) and not open to the public or other interested parties. The Trustee, in a formal motion to the court on August 30th, again mounted a […]

August 31, 2021

SES demands trial on its Intelsat $1.8bn claim

On September 1st the Intelsat bankruptcy court is scheduled to hold a pre-trial hearing on the SES claim for a greater share of the FCC’s incentive payments due from the C-band clearing process and auction. SES, in a filing to the court on August 25th, is asking that the actual trial scheduled for September 20th […]

August 27, 2021

Intelsat bankruptcy exit at risk

There are many pages of potential problems to be overcome by Intelsat as it proceeds towards its proposed Exit Plan from bankruptcy under its Amended Plan. But two Luxembourg entities figure largely in the 607-page filing to its US bankruptcy court on August 24th. The first is Intelsat arch-rival SES, very much based in Luxembourg, […]

August 26, 2021