Advanced Television

Inmarsat

SpaceX, Kuiper challenge Viasat/Inmarsat deal

Viasat of California is in the process of buying London-based Inmarsat for some $7.3 billion (€6.9bn). SpaceX is formally complaining to the FCC and says that Viasat has violated FCC rules and should not be given permission to control another company’s assets. Jeff Bezos’s Kuiper Systems is also complaining to the FCC over the Viasat/Inmarsat […]

June 15, 2022By Chris Forrester

Inmarsat tests UK GPS signals

Since withdrawing from the European Union the UK is looking to establish its own satellite navigation system for positioning. Inmarsat says a test signal from one of its satellites is stable and operational, enabling ongoing testing and validation by industry, regulators, and users. The signal is claimed to be more accurate than the EU’s Galileo […]

June 10, 2022

Inmarsat Aviation IFC boon

Inmarsat has had a lean couple of years as a result of Covid. But its Q1 revenues show that its Aviation division is up 45 per cent (from $47.3 million [€44m] same period last year to $68.7m). Government-related business also grew nicely by 9.6 per cent (from $114.5m to $125.5m). Overall, London-based Inmarsat saw revenues […]

May 27, 2022By Chris Forrester

Inmarsat, Honeywell unveil SwiftJet service

Inmarsat and Honeywell have announced SwiftJet, their latest inflight connectivity service for the business aviation industry. It will enter commercial service in the first half of 2023 and the companies says it will deliver the fastest ever speeds over L-band. As one of the first new services to be introduced on Inmarsat’s ELERA satellite network, SwiftJet […]

May 23, 2022

Inmarsat seeks new Greek Teleport licence

Inmarsat has to move one of its Teleports from the Netherlands to Greece. It has been arguing its case before a Dutch court to stay in the Netherlands and is seeking an alternate Greek licence to establish an Earth station in Greece. Inmarsat is currently using C-band frequencies in the Netherlands, but the authorities are […]

May 17, 2022By Chris Forrester

Ligado facing US hurdles

Ligado Networks, formerly known as LightSquared and SkyTerra Communications, is a satellite communications business and operates the SkyTerra-1 satellite. Inmarsat is very much involved insofar that it is owed cash by Ligado for satellite capacity leases. Ligado has had a very chequered history, but now faces a series of heavyweight objections to its plans from […]

April 29, 2022

Inmarsat warns of satellite space debris risks

Inmarsat has warned that space is getting increasingly crowded with “dangerous levels of space debris from satellite constellations planned by Elon Musk’s Starlink, Amazon, Chinese operators and others”. Inmarsat CEO Rajeev Suri welcomed innovation in satellite constellations in low Earth orbit but added that there should be better industry and regulatory co-ordination as they are […]

April 28, 2022By Chris Forrester

Viasat notifies SEC of Inmarsat purchase EGM

California-based Viasat, in a formal proxy filing to Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), says it will soon be calling a special meeting of stockholders to approve its planned purchase of London-based Inmarsat for $3.95 billion (€3.75bn) comprising $850 million in cash, plus 46.36 million shares of Viasat common stock. Viasat started its acquisition process on […]

April 28, 2022By Chris Forrester

Inmarsat wins NASA contract

NASA has selected London-based satellite operator Inmarsat as a delivery partner for its Communications Services Project (CSP). Under the Funded Space Act Agreement (FSAA), NASA will partner with Inmarsat to develop and demonstrate the feasibility of providing commercial satellite communications (satcom) capabilities as a service for future spacecraft users in near-Earth orbit. Inmarsat’s government division […]

April 22, 2022By Chris Forrester

Inmarsat moves to profit

London-based Inmarsat, itself in the process of being acquired by Viasat of California, turned a 2020 loss of $182.9 million (€166.4m) into a profit for last year of $17.7 million. The profit might seem modest but coming out of the Covid pandemic with many of its core client connectivity services being badly hit, it is […]

March 29, 2022By Chris Forrester