Sichuan Airlines, a Chinese air carrier, Viasat, the communications company, and AeroSat Link Technology, a subsidiary of China Satellite Communications (China Satcom), have announced the airline has selected Viasat’s iIn-Flight Connectivity (IFC) technology and equipment for installation on its Airbus A320 family of aircraft. When in service, the Viasat terminal installed on the aircraft will […]
There are plenty of well-known players looking to tap into the market for so-called space tourism, not least Sir Richard Branson and Amazon boss Jeff Bezos. Now they might have new competitor in the shape of Halo Space, and balloon flights. Spain-based Halo Space has successfully flown a prototype stratospheric balloon up some 23 miles […]
More than four in ten UK homes can now access faster, more reliable Internet connections, as the rollout of full-fibre technology continues at record pace. Ofcom’s annual Connected Nations report, which measures the availability of broadband and mobile services across the UK, found that full-fibre connections are now available to 12.4 million households (42 per […]
OneWeb, in the process of finalising its launch schedule and completing its Version 1 satellite constellation, has bought 10,000 ground terminals from EchoStar-owned Hughes Network Systems. Hughes confirmed the OneWeb order, saying: “Engineered and manufactured by Hughes, the terminals (model number HL1100) include the Hughes electronically steered antenna and compact indoor and outdoor equipment necessary […]
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has again raised cash from its investors. The plan has been on the table since mid-November with SpaceX reported to have offered shares at around $77 (€72.50) per share according to Bloomberg. If correct, then this would value the privately-held business at around $140 billion depending on the value of the secondary […]
Microsoft and satellite operator Viasat have agreed a new partnership to help deliver Internet access to 10 million people around the globe, including 5 million across Africa. Viasat is the first satellite partner to work with Microsoft’s Airband Initiative, and together they will deepen Airband’s work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Guatemala, […]
AST SpaceMobile, the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by standard mobile phones, has provided an operational update on the BlueWalker 3 (BW3), Block 1 BlueBird and next-generation BlueBird programmes. “The achievements to date for BlueWalker 3 validate the design roadmap for our BlueBirds, including deploying and flying the […]
Two mPOWER satellites (mPOWER 1 and 2) are ready to launch on December 16th for SES. Launch time, subject to the usual weather constraints, is at 4.21pm Florida time from Cape Canaveral. SpaceX is providing the launch vehicle. The mission will see the two craft placed in mid-Earth orbit at some 8,000 kms altitude and […]
Eutelsat has extended its 15-year support for Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) and has now become the NGO’s lead sponsor. TSF is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) focusing on emergency aid telecommunications, and the pair announced a multi-year sponsorship deal that follows on from a previous long-term partnership agreement between the two companies initiated in 2007. Eutelsat’s […]
Japan-based Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), a major shipping line, has signed up for broadband connectivity with Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite service. MOL joins other maritime operators, such as Norwegian Cruise Lines, to use Starlink. MOL says it will work with satellite service provider Marlink for this trial of Musk’s technology. While only a trial at […]