News Analysis

Brussels, Belgium, October 17, 2013 – With high-speed satellite broadband now available in all 28 EU countries, Europe today reached a major milestone in its drive to bridge the Digital Divide. The opportunity of broadband for all became a reality with the launch of satellite broadband services in the Baltics, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania being the last countries to be added to a network of service providers across Member States.

Betzdorf, Luxembourg, October 16, 2013 - SES S.A. operator of a global fleet of 54 communication satellites, has successfully placed a €500 million 5-year Euro bond. The bond, issued by SES Global Americas Holdings GP and guaranteed by SES S.A., was priced today with a coupon of 1.875% (Mid-Swap +73bp). SES is rated Baa2/BBB/BBB (all stable). Proceeds of issuance will be used to refinance existing debt.

Johannesburg, South Africa, October 8, 2013 — Fox International Channels (FIC), a 21st Century Fox company, is buying Setanta Africa, the broadcaster whose television channel bouquet takes football, rugby, martial arts and other sports to a million homes in sub-Saharan Africa.

Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, October 3, 2013 — Netgem announced consolidated revenues of €24.1 million (US$32.84 million) for the third quarter of 2013 taking its nine-month consolidated revenue to €57.9 million (US$78.9 million).

Scottsdale, Ariz., October 3, 2013--The ability to deliver high quality, high definition video streams across home area networks to devices using multiple formats and multiple screen sizes is crucial to the success of content and service providers. Pay-TV providers, particularly cable providers looking to avoid becoming simply a "dumb" pipe, are increasingly implementing plans to provide content to consumers via multiple types of devices within and outside of the home, according to MRG.

London, UK,  October 1, 2013 — United Kingdom’s Office of Fair Trading has referred the acquisition by Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson of Red Bee Media Limited to the Competition Commission (CC).

Hampshire, U.K., October 1, 2013 — Sydney-based Macquarie Group Limited ,  a global investment banking and diversified financial services company, is reported to be auctioning off its 25 percent stake in Arqiva, a telecommunications company that provides infrastructure and broadcast transmission facilities in the United Kingdom and Ireland. 

Hauppauge, N.Y., Sept. 16, 2013 — Globecomm Systems Inc. has reported a drop in its revenue to US$ 80.6 million during the fiscal 2013 fourth quarter, compared to US$ 104.8 million in the same period last year, as the company completed a major government project in January 2013.

Indiana, PA, September 12, 2013 — Quintech Electronics & Communications is acquiring 100 percent of all shares of DEV Systemtechnik GmbH & Co. KG. Quintech, headquartered in Indiana, PA, supplies RF signal routing equipment for over 24 years. Quintech’s product line includes matrix switches, routers, splitters, combiners, amplifiers, and LNB power supplies.

Amsrerdam, the Netherlands, September 12, 2013.  According to a Carrier ID survey, carried out by the Satellite Interference Reduction Group (IRG) and Newtec, 93% of respondents suffer from satellite interference at least once a year, with more than half suffering at least once a month and 17% continuously in their day to day operations.