Advanced Television

Spectrum

Double dilemma for Intelsat

Intelsat’s shares had a torrid time May 5th with a 12.4 per cent fall in value at one point to just $1.10. It isn’t the lowest that Intelsat shares have traded recently ($1.04 on April 15th) but it highlights the anxiety the market has for the company’s future prospects. One shareholder (Cyrus Capital Partners) is […]

May 6, 2020

Intelsat proceeding with FCC auction plan

Intelsat CEO Steve Spengler has said that the operator is proceeding as the FCC laid out in its 225-page order in regard to the auction of C-band spectrum over the US. However, he also placed something of a question mark on future plans by adding “if we choose to proceed with clearing C-band” and which […]

April 30, 2020By Chris Forrester

DISH selects Mavenir for 5G roll out

Satellite TV and streaming media firm DISH Network has announced a multi-year agreement with network software provider Mavenir to deliver cloud-native OpenRAN software for its new 5G network. DISH, which provides entertainment services via satellite-based DISH TV, as well as streaming services under the Sling TV brand, intends to become a US-wide facilities-based provider of […]

April 24, 2020By Angharad Rhiannon

UK MPs examine Covid-19 fibre/5G roll-out impact

The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the UK’s lower legislative chamber the House of Commons  has widened the scope of its inquiry into Broadband and the road to 5G, inviting evidence submissions on the impact of Coronavirus on the roll-out of full-fibre and 5G infrastructure, including any differences being experienced in different parts […]

April 23, 2020By Colin Mann

ICASA & Telkom spectrum spat

South Africa’s media regulator ICASA is involved in a dispute with the nation’s main telco Telkom. The claim by Telkom – which operates both landline and cellular services – is that the regulator has “expropriated” a portion of its wireless spectrum assets. ICASA’s intention was to use the 2.3 GHz spectrum to help provide extra […]

April 23, 2020By Chris Forrester

Intelsat’s Chapter 11 focus

Intelsat has yet to formally apply for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and undoubtedly its situation is precarious and thus highly fluid although a bankruptcy restructuring is now widely expected given that it has declined to make interim interest payments on a 2024-due bond and has used a permitted 30-day delay in making the payment. Intelsat is […]

April 17, 2020

Intelsat’s C-band “bankruptcy loan”

Intelsat has been somewhat silent on its intentions regarding the planned auction by the FCC of 280 MHz of spectrum over the US to help support the take-up of 5G telephony and data. However, Bloomberg Law reports that Intelsat is seeking a bankruptcy loan in order to keep the satellite company in business under a […]

April 14, 2020By Chris Forrester

FCC “holding firm” on December 5G auction

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) says it is “holding firm” on its plans to auction 280 MHz of C-band spectrum over the US in “mid-December”. The comment emerged in a letter sent by FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly to President Donald Trump on April 8th. Commissioner O’Rielly praised the president for his support the drive to […]

April 14, 2020By Chris Forrester

Class Action against Intelsat shareholders

Law firm Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law has commenced a Class Action lawsuit against Silver Lake Group, BC Partners – both significant investors in Intelsat – and two other named defendants Raymond Svider (chairman at BC Partners) and Justin Bateman (a partner at BC Partners). The writ has been filed in the US District Court for […]

April 9, 2020By Chris Forrester

LEO not doomed by OneWeb problems

A report from analysts at Quilty Analytics says that despite OneWeb’s much-publicised Chapter 11 problems, all is not lost as far as Low Earth Orbit schemes are concerned. “OneWeb suffered from a significant first-mover disadvantage, a competitively inferior system (as a result of early design decisions and trade-offs), and inadequate financing (largely due to investor […]

April 8, 2020