News Analysis

McLean, VA, December 20, 2013--  Aireon LLC, the developer of the world's first satellite-based global air traffic surveillance system, has entered into binding agreements with three new investors and major Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs): ENAV (Italy), the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), and Naviair (Denmark) for US$120 million in new equity into Aireon.

London, UK, December 19, 2013 – Astrium and Inmarsat have reached a strategic distribution partnership agreement which will see Global Xpress services made available to Astrium Services’s large partner and customer base. Astrium Services will deliver Global Xpress high-speed broadband services through its worldwide distribution channels. The strategic agreement will cover key vertical markets, including the maritime as well as the government and defence sector, initially in Europe.

London, UK, December 18, 2013 – Inmarsat today announces the acquisition of the business and substantially all of the assets of Globe Wireless LLC  Headquartered in Palm Bay, Florida, Globe Wireless is a  provider of value-added maritime communications services to the shipping market. 

Pittsburgh, PA, December 17, 2013--NEP Group Inc. announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Global Television  from Catalyst Investment Managers. Financial terms were not disclosed. The transaction brings together US-based NEP and Australia’s Global Television, uniting two of the world’s most experienced and successful television technical services companies.

London, UK – December 17, 2013 – NSR's Broadband Satellite Markets 12th Edition report, released today, forecasts the entire broadband satellite market’s installed base of VSAT sites, broadband access subscribers, trunking and backhaul sites will increase by just over 5 million by 2022 and generate US$9.9 billion in revenues. Fully 87% of this growth will come from new subscribers to satellite broadband access services with the North American, Western European and Latin American markets leading the way.

Hauppaugge, NY, December 11, 2013--Globecomm Systems Inc. a leading communications solutions provider, announced today that an investor group led by Wasserstein & Co. has successfully completed the previously announced acquisition of Globecomm.  As a result of the merger, each share of Globecomm common stock (other than shares held by Globecomm as treasury stock and shares as to which holders properly exercised dissenters’ rights) was converted into the right to receive $14.15 in cash, without interest, and Globecomm’s common shares will no longer be publicly traded.

Palo Alto, Calif., Dec. 11, 2013 — CPI International Holding Corp., the parent company of CPI International, Inc. (CPI), has reported increased orders, sales, backlog, net income and adjusted EBITDA in fiscal 2013. CPI said it booked orders totalling US$ 464 million, an increase of 21 percent from theUS $383 million booked in the previous year, with orders for defense and communications products increasing by double digits.

Melville, N.Y., Dec. 9, 2013 — Comtech Telecommunications Corp. has reported lower net sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2014 because of lower sales in its RF microwave amplifiers and mobile data communications segments. Comtech said net sales for the first quarter ended October 31, 2013 reached US$ 83.4 million compared to $91 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2013. But the company said it also experienced a surge in the sale of its telecommunications transmission segment.

El Segundo, Calif., Dec. 9, 2013—In a sign of how profoundly Internet-based media is revolutionizing the way consumers access video entertainment content, more than 1.7 billion devices capable of accessing over-the-top (OTT) broadband content like Netflix and Hulu are set to ship by the end of 2013. Shipments of OTT-capable devices will rise 20 percent this year from 1.43 billion units in 2012, according to a new Consumer Electronics Topical Reportf rom IHS Inc.  

New York, NY, December 5, 2013– The World Teleport Association (WTA) published its annual rankings for the Top Teleport Operators of 2013. The annual rankings of companies by revenue and revenue growth are compiled by surveying teleport operators around the world as well as referencing the published results of publicly-held companies.