AAC Clyde Space has reached an agreement to acquire 100 percent of the shares in SpaceQuest, Ltd in an all shares deal in a payment of 24,000,000 new AAC shares to the current owners of Space Quest. The acquisition is subject to approval by the AAC Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) and The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

AfricaCom and AfricaTech are anchor events of the new Africa Tech Festival, which will take place – online – from 10-12 November this year.  Acknowledged as the world’s largest Africa-focused digital infrastructure and emerging tech event, the Africa Tech Festival has always attracted a stellar line-up of critical thinkers, analysts, futurists, keynote and inspirational speakers. 2020 will more than deliver on that reputation, with a stimulating array of visionary industry presenters, raconteurs and even some sporting greats.

The Satellite Mobility market consists of three key verticals: the aeronautical/in-flight;  maritime and land mobile communications on the move (COTM) markets.  Of those three markets that cover the air, sea and land, two of those verticals are probably the hardest hit sectors of the satellite industry by the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic.

The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) held its annual Satellite Industry Forum (SIF) as a virtual conference, from 24 – 25 September, which allowed for truly global participation with delegates from around the world in attendance. The event also saw over 100 new companies register to be part of the two-day discussions on Video in the Satellite World.

ConnecTechAsia, Asia's leading Infocomm Media and Technology event concluded last week after three days of insightful conference sessions and exhibitions on the latest solutions and trends empowering the digital economy.

Momentus, a commercial space company offering in-space transportation and infrastructure services, today announced it has signed a definitive merger agreement with Stable Road Acquisition Corp. that will result in the company becoming publicly listed.

Upon the closing of the transaction, the combined operating company will be named Momentus Inc. and its securities will be listed on Nasdaq and trade under the ticker symbol “MNTS.”

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (Nasdaq: CMTL)  and Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (Nasdaq: GILT; TASE: GILT)  announced today that the companies have agreed to terminate the merger agreement first announced on January 29, 2020 and have settled all pending litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery. In connection with the termination and settlement agreement, Comtech has agreed to make a payment of US$ 70.0 million to Gilat.

By now, we all are aware of the magnitude of the 1st generation of NGSO (Non-Geo Stationary Orbit) mega constellation and their capabilities for provision of high throughput, low latency, global broadband to everyone, everywhere. Let us move forward and analyse the integration of the networks established by these constellations with already existing and upcoming terrestrial networks. 

The best advice I ever got for dealing with things that terrified me was from a teacher in New York 30 years ago.  She said, “Try leaning into your fears.” 

The GVF Webinar Series has been an innovative response to the dictates of a variously locked down world and its various themes have been well received by a global audience. Whilst, as noted in my previous column, 69 has been the least number of countries dialing-in to any one individual Zoom event, the total number of nations reached across the series to date has now exceeded 120.