News Analysis

Satellites and St. Michael the Archangel Providing Coverage in Ukraine

by Lou Zacharilla

April 1, 2022, New York City, NY--I am gonna take a wild guess and say that Putin never read Cicero. However, as a trained intelligence officer I am sure that he came across a quote of General Sun Tzu, who stated that “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”  The supreme art may have eluded Russia’s political leadership. It has not eluded the satellite community.

The Broadcast Market for Satellite Services

by Elisabeth Tweedie

Los Angeles, Calif., April 1, 2022--History was made at the Oscars last month, and I’m not referring to slap heard around the world. The movie CODA took the Oscar for best picture.  This is the first time a movie from a streaming service has been awarded that accolade.  Not only was this movie from a streaming service, it was from Apple, a relatively new entrant and one of the smaller streaming platforms with only 19 Million global subscribers.  Doubtless this win will help spur subscriber growth.  

HISPASAT to Acquire AXESS Networks

Madrid. Spain, March 21, 2022--HISPASAT, the Spanish operator and satellite solutions and services provider owned by the Red Eléctrica Group, has reached an agreement to acquire the company AXESS Networks, a  teleport operator and satellite services provider with a presence in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.  

Comtech Announces Results for its 2Q of Fiscal 2022 and Updates 2022 Financial Targets

Melville, NY, March 10,2022--Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (NASDAQ: CMTL) today announced its second quarter fiscal 2022 financial results and updated its fiscal 2022 financial targets. Comtech announced results and updated financial targets in a new investment letter format that it intends to use for quarterly communications. Here's a link to the letter: https://www.comtechtel.com/static-files/ae9ebe0c-104d-4eb9-ab75-fe974e853c17

SPACs: Game Changer or Passing Fad?

by Elisabeth Tweedie

Los Angeles, Calif., March 5, 2022--The satellite industry is no stranger to mergers and acquisitions, nor to new entrants. The last few years in particular have seen numerous startups enter the industry, indeed that is how the term “new space” originated. Suddenly the industry was no longer the sole domain of large well-established companies, advances in technology meant that the barriers to entry were rapidly being eroded.

Kacific: A Unique Business Model that Combines Commercial Success with Meeting Sustainable Development Goals

by Virgil Labrador, Editor-in-Chief

Since the first commercial satellites were launched nearly sixty years ago, the potential for connecting the world’s population, especially those in remote, inaccessible areas, has always been touted as one of the key benefits of satellite technology.  With the growth of the internet and the development of satellites that can deliver highly reliable broadband services, it is widely recognized that satellites can play a key role in bridging the digital divide and making a substantial impact on meeting social development goals.  

Conflict in Ukraine Sparks Rise in Maritime Comms Demand

Dubai, UAE, March 4, 2022--Demand for maritime connectivity has escalated over the past week as seafarers clamour to call home, reports digital communications specialist IEC Telecom.  The company advises that its usage figures for the past month show maritime comms traffic has risen by 30%, most of it over the previous seven days and attributable to extra calls to Ukraine. 

Beginning With a Sad Reflection on Our Industry’s Loss…

By Marin Jarrold
 
London, UK, March 3, 2022--I begin my column this month with a brief statement of sadness. For those of you reading this who do not already know, on 24 February the satellite community – the industry and its stakeholder users – lost a valued friend with the sudden passing away of Simon Gray, Eutelsat’s Senior Vice President for Civil Government, and member of GVF’s Board of Directors.