The new year is finally here and it certainly is more promising than the very challenging year that was 2020.   To say that the past year was a challenge is a huge understatement, but despite it all, there were some bright spots that bodes well for 2021 and beyond.

Marlink Group, backed by Apax Partners (France), has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of ITC Global,a provider of satellite communications solutions, from Panasonic. Upon completion of the acquisition, ITC Global will become a cornerstone of the Marlink Group, supporting the expansion of Marlink's global leadership in the energy and enterprise markets.

Integrasys and NSR are collaborating in a fascinating Webinar about The Revolution of Capacity Price and Network Deployment. The webinar will be on January 19^th at 16:00 h (GMT+1) / 10:00 h (EST). The panelists will be Richard Hadsall, Vice President Global Network Operations at Kymeta, Morten Skisland Director VSAT Antenna and RF at Marlink, Alvaro Sanchez CEO at Integrasys, and Lluc Palerm, Senior Analyst at NSR, the moderator will be Jose del Rosario, Research Director at NSR.

The space industry is increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to push and redefine the boundaries of what is possible in space exploration. AIxSPACE, an event dedicated to AI applications in the space industry, has therefore been launched by Euroconsult and Innovitech, experts in space and innovation respectively, to address these challenges.  For this first edition, the event will be held virtually on January 18 and 19, 2021.

Kymeta Corporation announced that Hanwha Systems a global solutions company that provides differentiated smart technologies in defense electronics and information infrastructure, has signed an agreement to invest US$ 30 million to back the development of Kymeta’s next generation solutions, the Kymeta u8™ and Kymeta Connect™.

UltiSat, a systems integrator and communications services provider to the defense, federal civilian, humanitarian-aid, and critical infrastructure markets, announced today the realignment of its organization and leadership to better position for evolving customer mission landscapes. The move includes several senior leadership appointments and a reorganization around four primary lines of business – Managed Network Services, Airborne ISR Services, Specialized Wireless Services, and Engineering & Technical Services.

The December 2020 issue of  the Satellite Executive Briefing magazine  sponsored by The SpaceConnection is now available.  Featuring:

The Satellite Industry in a Post-Pandemic World by Elisabeth Tweedie

Constellation Watch: China's Incubating Answer to Starlink by Blaine Curcio

Satellite's Year 2020:  Virtually Experienced... by Martin Jarrold

And Yet... by Lou Zacharilla

Better Satellite World Series: Mission to the Future

PLUS Product and Services Spotlight, Mergers and Acquisitions, Executive Moves, Market Briefs, Vital Statistics, and many more. Click here to read or download the file

From the beginning, with Arthur C. Clarke’s 1945 Wireless World article proposing that just three “geostationary” satellites would cover the entire surface of the Earth from their (relative to a point on the surface below) stationary positions, the idea of using satellites for communications was conceived to achieve global wireless connectivity. 

Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ, TASE: GILT), announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend to shareholders in the amount of US$ 0.63 per share (approximately US$ 35 million in the aggregate) following receipt of court approval for the distribution of the dividend. The dividend will be paid in US$ on January 20, 2021 to shareholders of record on January 11, 2021.

Comtech Telecommunications Corp.  (NASDAQ: CMTL) reported today that Comtech and UHP Networks, Inc., a leading provider of innovative and disruptive satellite ground station technology solutions, agreed to extend their agreement for Comtech’s purchase of UHP, which was originally announced in November 2019, until February 28, 2021. UHP is based in Canada and has developed revolutionary technology that is transforming the Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) market.