Arab Satellite Communication Organization (Arabsat) and Telesat Canada (Telesat) have signed a strategic commercial agreement under which Telesat will utilize a lifetime Ku-band payload on a the new satellite Hellas-sat-4.  The new satellite’s RFP is going to the market in March as part of Arabsat’s RFP for its 6th generation satellites. The RFP will incorporate the design and manufacture of four new satellites.

Comtech Telecommunications Corp.today reported net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2014  of  US $85.5 million compared to US$ 74.6 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2013. The period-over-period increase reflects higher sales in the Company's telecommunications transmission and RF microwave amplifiers segments, partially offset by lower sales in its mobile data communications segment.

Inmarsat plc today reported consolidated preliminary financial results for the year ended 31 December 31, 2013. 
Inmarsat reported Adjusted total revenues of  US$ 1,249.6m (2012: $1,277.6m) and Adjusted EBITDA of US$ 639.8m (2012: $642.8m).

Total Inmarsat Global MSS revenue was US$ 762.4m up 3.3% (2012: $738.0m). Profit before tax US$ 189.1m (2012: $293.6m). Adjusted profit before tax was US$ 365.3m up 8.6% (2012: $336.4m) . The company giave a dividend of 28.82 US cents up 5% from 2012.

An astronaut holding the world’s record for the most spacewalks during a single mission, a private company planning to reach mars, aerospace industry titans alongside startup ventures, key military and NASA space officials, and thousands of engineers and executives are all planning to visit the Long Beach Convention Center April 1-3, 2014 for what is shaping up to be the biggest commercial space confab ever to hit the Los Angeles region,

CABSAT, the leading professional content management event in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA), will debut the cutting-edge Content Delivery Hub – a dedicated platform for multiscreen digital entertainment solutions, turn-key content sourcing, management and marketing of content – during the event’s 20th anniversary celebrations at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) next week.

HISPASAT, the Spanish satellite operator, reported 201.4 million euros in revenues in 2013, a increase of  0.57% from 2012. Excluding the adverse exchange rate effect, this increase would have been 4.35%, mainly due to the increased sales results from markets outside of Spain.  

The Latin American market accounted for 55.6% of revenues per space capacity (+2.4% from 2012), while Europe and North Africa represented 44.4% (-2.2% from 2012). In 2008, before the economic crisis, these percentages were 31.5% and 68.5%, respectively.

CASBAA successfully held its latest TV Upfronts event on Friday, February 21 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Promoting multichannel TV as the ideal platform for marketers to reach their target demographics, the TV Upfronts have taken place in several Asia Pacific markets including Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Hong Kong and Bangkok reaching numerous representatives from advertising agencies, clients, broadcasters and media.

UK-based Set-top box manufacturer Pace reported a 2.7% increase in revenues to  US$ 2,469.2 m  from 2012: US $2,403.4m in 2012.  Adjusted EBITA was  up 22.5% to US$ 193.6 m from  US$ 158.1m in 2012. 

Pace said it expected revenue of about US$ 2.70 billion this year, with an operating margin of around 8.5 per cent.

Pace CEO Mike Pulli said the firm had a “sustainable high level of cash generation,” made good strategic progress and said there is “significant opportunity for further improvement.”

CASBAA’s first ever event focusing solely on the fast evolving over-the-top (OTT) services is to take place on March 25, 2014 at the Grand Hyatt, Singapore. The CASBAA OTT Summit 2014: On Top of OTT will bring together some of the region’s leading experts from across the broadcasting industry to share their experiences and insights into the exciting evolving world of OTT content delivery, technology, and revenue streams.

In 2013 ABI Research estimates one out of every ten pay TV households had access to applications on the set-top box – applications include news and information services, service provider specific apps, OTT video, games, and music services. By 2019 nearly 40% of pay TV households should have access to similar services and features. Video will remain the focus for entertainment applications - consumers’ penchant for OTT video underscores the importance of video and how operator application libraries will evolve.