In an article for this publication exactly a year ago, I suggested that maybe it was time for us to start thinking of ourselves as the bandwidth industry, rather than the satellite industry. Now, I’m not vain enough to think that that remark was what prompted DirecTV to announce at the end of last year that it would not be ordering any more satellites, and that it would instead concentrate on building out fiber and OTT offerings for its customers.

The Satellite Hub Summit @ CABSAT 2019 – GVF’s prominent MENA platform for addressing and analysing evolutionary and revolutionary transitions in satellite technologies, services, applications, and markets – which was a central feature at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre/Dubai World Trade Centre over 12th to 14th March once again provided an essential and incisive value-added experience for hundreds of exhibition attendees.

After years of decreasing subscription, Digital TV Research has predicted that pay TV penetration in Latin America will start climbing again in 2020.

Two operators dominate Latin American pay TV. America Movil and DirecTV/Sky accounted for nearly half of the region’s pay TV subscribers by end-2018.

Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) announced today that, on May 7, it will induct three new members into the prestigious Space & Satellite Hall of Fame. The 2019 honorees are Greg Wyler, Founder and Executive Chairman of OneWeb; Matt Desch, CEO of Iridium; and Henry Goldberg, Partner at Goldberg, Godles, Wiener & Wright.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioners Michael O’Rielly, Brendan Carr and Geoffrey Starks will participate in two separate sessions at NAB Show, held April 6-11 in Las Vegas.

Chairman Pai will offer remarks at the NAB: We Are Broadcasters Celebration on Tuesday, April 9 at 3:00 p.m. on the Main Stage.

Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd today announced that its subsidiary, Singapore Technologies Engineering (Europe) Ltd, has entered into a conditional share purchase agreement to acquire a 100% ownership in Newtec Group NV, an established Belgium-based company in the satellite communications industry.

The consideration of US$281.24 million (€250 million or approximately S$383 million) on a cash-free and debt-free basis for the proposed acquisition, subject to closing adjustments, is payable in cash.

C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. (TSXV: CMI) announced today it generated revenues of US$10.1 million (Ca$13,527,368) and a net after tax profit of US$1.72 million (Ca$2,299,501) or US 4.48 cents (6 Ca. cents per share). This compared with revenues of US$7.68 (Ca$10,282,319) and a net after tax profit of US$0.77 million (Ca$1,035,744) or US 2.24 cents (Ca. 3 cents per share) as reported in 2017, representing an increase of 31.6% and 122.0% respectively.

Satellite operator Hispasat has reached an agreement with Mexican telecommunications company Wibo to offer broadband satellite and IP phone services in remote areas of Mexico.

The two companies agreed to connect remote areas in Mexico using the Ka band in the next three years. The partnership will focus on areas of the country where communications are poor or non-existent, which is common in many rural areas, and in regions far removed from large cities.

The boards of Inmarsat and Triton Bidco announced today that they have reached agreement for a US$3.4 billion in cash takeover by Triton Bidco of Inmarsat.

Triton Bidco is a newly formed joint venture company owned in equal shares by fund managers Apax Warburg Pincus, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board.

Under the terms of the acquisition, Inmarsat shareholders are to receive US$7.21 per Inmarsat share, comprised of a cash consideration of US$7.09 per share, and a final divided of USD0.12 to be paid on May 30.

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (Nasdaq: CMTL) announced today that during its third quarter of fiscal 2019, its New York-based subsidiary, Comtech PST Corp., which is part of Comtech’s Government Solutions segment, received a $2.6 million contract award for high power amplifier systems from the U.S. Military.

These amplifier systems, which include the latest broadband solid-state transistor technology, provide for very broad frequency coverage and will be utilized as part of electronic warfare communication jamming systems.