Inmarsat and Arabsat subsiary company Hellas-sat today announce that they have signed an agreement together to launch a joint satellite into 390 E orbital location. The satellite will carry two missions; first, the S-band payload (designated ‘EuropaSat’), which represents Inmarsat’s commitment to deploy an integrated telecommunications network to deliver aviation passenger connectivity services on a EU-wide basis and a 44 Ku-band transponders payload designated ‘Hellas-sat 3’ for Hellas-sat, that will replace the existing Hellas-sat 2 satellite. 

HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, President of the Royal Scientific Society and Chairman of Board of Trustees, inaugurated today the 11th Convergence Summit taking place in Amman at the Four Seasons Hotel. The two-day summit brings together top regional and global media and telecoms industry executives.

Satellite operator ABS is preparing for a major business expansion with the launch of ABS-2A & ABS-3A in 2014/2015 and further satellites to be added to the fleet in the following two years. ABS launched its sixth satellite, ABS-2 in February 2014, covering 80% of the world's population including the emerging markets of Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East and Russia / CIS. 

The EUTELSAT 3B satellite was successfully launched by a Zenit-3SL rocket operated by Sea Launch AG from the ocean-based Odyssey Launch Platform in the Pacific Ocean. Lift-off of the rocket carrying the six-tonne satellite took place on Monday 26 May at 21.10 GMT/UTC.

Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd.  today reported its results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2014. Non-GAAP operating income was US$ 0.5 million, compared to a loss of US$ 0.1 million in the fourth quarter 2013. GAAP operating loss was US$ 1.5 million compared to a loss of US$ 2.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2013

Eutelsat Communications today announced the sale to M7A Group S.A., trading under the name of M7 Deutschland, of Eutelsat visAvision GmbH., that operates the KabelKiosk platform of digital channels and interactive services for cable and IPTV networks in Germany.

M7A Group is an affiliate of M7 Group, one of the fastest growing operators of TV platforms in Europe and particularly well positioned to ensure KabelKiosk’s continuing development, including the launch of its new IPTV and OTT video delivery platforms.

The Satellite Industry Association (SIA) today released its 2014 State of the Satellite Industry Report, showing a three percent growth rate in world satellite industry revenues in 2013.Globally, 2013 revenues for the satellite industry totaled US$ 195.2 billion, up from US$ 188.8 billion the previous year.

The Proton-M carrier rocket launch of RSCC's Express-AM4R satellite from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan failed to biring the satellite into geostationary orbit. The rocket carrying the satellite went down nine minutes after launch today.

Eutelsat Communications today reported revenues for the third quarter and nine months ended 31 March 31, 2014. Revenues for the first nine months were up by 2.5%, at constant currency excluding non-recurring and Satmex revenues. Third quarter revenues were up by 1.5%, and by 6% including Satmex, which was consolidated from January 1, 2014. The total order backlog stood at the  €5.8 billion.

Ericsson has completed its acquisition of Red Bee Media, a leading media services company headquartered in the UK, from Creative Broadcast Services Holdings - an entity controlled by Macquarie Advanced Investment Partners, L.P.

Ericsson announced its intention to acquire Red Bee Media on July 1, 2013, and the UK's Competition Commission formally cleared the acquisition on March 27, 2014.