Advanced Television

telesat

Telesat to start LEO services in 2022

Ottawa-based satellite operator Telesat has reportedly told the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) that it will start supply a basic LEO broadband-by-satellite service in 2022. But there are considerable complications to that promise. In a separate presentation made at last week’s Satellite Innovation webinar Telesat’s Erwin Hudson (VP/LEO division) told delegates that its polar orbiting satellites […]

October 12, 2020By Chris Forrester

Concerns over ‘flat panel’ LEO antennas

If there’s one vital component that Elon Musk and the likes of Jeff Bezos as well as Telesat, OneWeb and others need it’s a low-cost consumer friendly phased array flat-panel antenna. Yoel Gat, founder of Gilat Satellite Networks (and now CEO at SatixFy, a designer of flat-panel antennas) says that the dream of a sub-$300 […]

October 9, 2020

Telesat signs LEO capacity deal with India’s Nelco

In what could be a major agreement Ottawa-based Telesat has entered into a cooperation deal with Indian satellite communication service provider Nelco to collaborate on terrestrial facilities, commercial distribution and regulatory frameworks to offer satellite connectivity through Telesat’s low-Earth-orbit network, Telesat LEO, in India. Telesat LEO craft are embryonic at best. There is one ‘test’ […]

October 1, 2020By Chris Forrester

Telesat makes Canada C-band proposal

Canadian satellite operator Telesat has welcomed Canada’s Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development’s (ISED) inclusion of Telesat’s proposal to reallocate expeditiously the highly-desirable 3800 MHz, ‘C-band’, mid-band spectrum from fixed satellite use to 5G services in its recently-released consultation on the future of that band. According to Telesat, its proposal is the only plan […]

September 2, 2020By Colin Mann

Maxar booms, but cautious on supplying Telesat

Dan Jablonsky, president/CEO of Maxar Technologies, buoyed by a healthy share price and extremely strong Q2 results, told analysts that one of his priorities was to “expand margins”. Jablonsky said that while he did not rule out supplying Ottawa-based Telesat with its Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, Maxar did not want the market to think […]

August 10, 2020

Telesat cautious on LEO plans

Ottawa-based Telesat’s revenues for the quarter-year to June 30th were down 10 per cent at C$208 million (€131.8m). The company, the world’s fourth-largest satellite operator, said: “Revenue decreases were primarily due to a reduction of service for one of Telesat’s North American DTH customers and lower revenue due to the completion of the term for […]

August 3, 2020By Chris Forrester

Covid puts Global Eagle into Chapter 11 bankruptcy

In-Flight Entertainment and broadband communications supplier, Global Eagle Entertainment (GEE) has entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company had been clear in the recent past that the near-total collapse of the world’s airline and related passenger traffic was putting the business under strain. Moody’s Investors Services had downgraded GEE’s rating to PD/LD which translates as a […]

July 23, 2020By Chris Forrester

UK expected to have OneWeb ‘golden share’

The joint bid for OneWeb’s assets by the UK government and India telco giant Bharti should get outline approval from the New York Southern District Bankruptcy Court today, July 10th.  There are still a few formal logistical steps to be negotiated and the purchase is not likely to be totally signed off until November 27th […]

July 10, 2020By Chris Forrester

Canada, India interested in OneWeb

Ottawa-based Telesat has reportedly entered a bid for OneWeb’s satellite assets. But it isn’t alone. There will be an auction process on July 2nd in New York. The UK is widely reported to have committed to a $500 million (£405m) participation for a 20 per cent stake in OneWeb. The UK bid is said to […]

July 1, 2020By Chris Forrester

FCC wins C-band spat with ‘small sat’ operators

A court case has been heard by the US Court of Appeals between ABS, Hispasat and Arsat which had been arguing that the FCC should pause the date of Commission’s Dec auction of C-band frequencies over the US. The trio were deliberately excluded by the FCC from its incentive plan for C-band compensation given to […]

June 24, 2020By Chris Forrester