The IRAA meets annually each October for its General Assembly
and Social Gathering.
It also holds an early Summer picnic jointly with COMARA (Comsat
Alumni & Retirees Assoc.) and Intelsat staff between MAY-JUN; a
biennial Winter Social between JAN-FEB and a biennial
late Summer Social between AUG-SEP.
All events provide a great opportunity for old friends & former
colleagues to gather for memorable occasions of fellowship and
camaraderie.
If you are not yet a member of the IRAA and would like to join,
please
CLICK
here.
Intelsat Expands Partnership with Alaska's GCI to Include Multi-Orbit
Services
Posted:
10 January 2025
By Rachel Jewett | January 9, 2025
Intelsat has expanded its agreement with Alaskan
telecommunications company GCI to include multi-orbit broadband services
in Alaska, the company announced Jan. 8. Financial terms of the deal
were not disclosed.
In addition to C-, Ku-, and Ka-band Geostationary
Orbit (GEO) service in GCI’s satellite portfolio, the company now has
access to Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) service managed by Intelsat. GCI plans
to support the growing demands of its customers including regional
tribal health care
We are pleased to Welcome the following new member
to the Intelsat
Retirees and Alumni Association:
January
2025
Maryann McKenzie
Investing in Space Overview: The Next American Heavy
Posted: 9 January 2025
By Michael Sheetz | Space Reporter|
January 9, 2025
A decade in the making, Blue Origin’s moment is
finally here.
New Glenn — a 30-story skyscraper-sized rocket, with a
fairing large enough to hold three school buses and designed to be
reusable from the first launch — is finally about to debut.
The inaugural launch of New Glenn is a turning point
in Blue Origin’s history. While its diminutive New Shepard rocket has
been taking short hops to space, the grander plans of Jeff Bezos’
company rest on New Glenn flying to orbit — and flying a lot. Blue’s
hopes of flying satellites, deploying a space station and reaching the
moon rest on the shoulders of New Glenn.
It’s often been convenient to compare SpaceX and Blue
Origin, given the dueling interests of their centi-billionaire founders.
But it’s never really been a true rivalry. For all intents and purposes,
SpaceX has dominated, and much of the space industry with it.
Intelsat Delivers a
High-Tech, Multi-Orbit Solution for the IFC Market
Posted: 9 January 2025
By Mark Holmes | January 8, 2025
The pace of innovation in the inflight connectivity (IFC)
market has accelerated over the last decade as technology and business
models change. Passengers expect to be connected in the air the same way
they are on the ground. At the same time, pilots want access to
real-time weather data and information to optimize their flight routes
and avoid turbulence.
“Today, having a high-performance connectivity
solution is a must-have for an airline,” says Robert Knapel, vice
president of Commercial Aviation Products for Intelsat.
Intelsat has long been a leader in providing airlines
with IFC and is now rolling out a new multi-orbit service and antenna as
part of a fully managed connectivity service for airlines.
A hallmark of Intelsat’s approach is fostering a close
relationship with airline customers, Knapel says.
Click
HERE
for
further details from Via Satellite.
Ligado Sues Inmarsat
Posted: 9 January 2025
January 8, 2025 |
Chris Forrester | Advanced Television
On January 6th Ligado Networks entered Chapter 11
bankruptcy reconstruction. January 7th opened a legal action against
London-based Inmarsat over a 2007 spectrum and capacity leasing
agreement.
Inmarsat, now owned by California-based Viasat,
allegedly owes Ligado $1.7 billion (€1.65bn) in payment under the
agreement says the action. Ligado is arguing that the UK-based satellite
telecommunications company has violated the 2007 agreement which was
meant to coordinate the two companies’ use of in-demand radio
frequencies for mobile communications and similar commercial uses.
Ligado
Network files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection
Posted:
9 January 2025
January 09, 2025 in Bankruptcy/Restructuring BY
Richard Summerfield
US satellite communications company Ligado Networks
has filed for Chapter 11 restructuring in the US state of Delaware.
According to the company’s filing, Ligado Networks has
assets and liabilities of between $1bn and $10bn. Inmarsat Global
Limited and Boeing Satellite Systems are listed as the two largest
unsecured creditors, though the amounts they are owed have not been
disclosed.
The filing will allow Ligado to continue operations as
it implements a plan to repay creditors. Ligado has also signed a deal
with AST SpaceMobile to allow the company to use Ligado’s mid-band
spectrum.
Click
HEREfor
further details from
Financier Worldwide
Ligado Networks filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
protection on January 6th. Ligado holds some extremely valuable ‘L-band’
spectrum over North America but is in the middle of a bitter dispute
with the U.S. government and has accused the U.S. government of
improperly blocking it from commercializing licensed spectrum through
what it called one of the biggest uncompensated seizures of private
property in modern U.S. history.
Ligado says the Chapter 11 bankruptcy gives its
breathing space and its restructuring proposal is to trim its debt by
some $7 billion (€6.7bn) to around $1.2 billion. Ligado has claimed that
its spectrum is worth as much as $39 billion. The dispute centres on
what rights the U.S. government has over spectrum that was officially
allocated to Ligado by the FCC in 2020. However, the US military (and in
particular the Department of Defense) is claiming it wants the spectrum
for its own use.
AST SpaceMobile
Announces Agreement for Long-Term Access to up ro 456 MHz of Premium
Lower Mid-Band Spectrum in the United States for Direct-to-Device
Satellite Applications
Posted: 7January 2025
With existing 3GPP
spectrum strategy and new lower mid-band satellite spectrum access, AST
SpaceMobile could maximize the potential of its growing in-orbit
network, expanding subscriber capacity while enabling peak data
transmission speeds up to 120 Mbps to everyday smartphones everywhere in
the continental United States
Agreement would pair AST
SpaceMobile’s largest-ever commercial communication arrays deployed in
low Earth orbit and planned nationwide low-band network with up to an
additional 45 MHz of lower mid-band satellite spectrum capabilities, the
largest available block of high-quality nationwide spectrum in the
United States
January 06, 2025 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
MIDLAND, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AST SpaceMobile, Inc.
(“AST SpaceMobile”) (NASDAQ: ASTS), the company building the first and
only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by
everyday smartphones, designed for both commercial and government
applications, today announced an agreement for long-term access to up to
45 MHz of lower mid-band spectrum in the United States for
direct-to-device satellite applications.
This agreement, when consummated, will add additional
capabilities to AST SpaceMobile’s technology and space-based network,
based on the largest-ever communications arrays deployed in low Earth
orbit, pairing existing plans for the continental United States on
low-band spectrum, which offers superior penetration and coverage
characteristics, with access to up to 45 MHz of lower mid-band spectrum,
the largest available block of high-quality nationwide spectrum in the
United States
Ligado files for Chapter 11, Makes Deal with AST SpaceMobile for MSS
Spectrum
Posted: 7 January 32025
By Rachel Jewett | January 7, 2025
Ligado Networks has filed for Chapter 11
restructuring, and has signed a deal with AST SpaceMobile to allow the
company to use Ligado’s mid-band spectrum.
Ligado announced the bankruptcy filing on Jan. 6,
saying in a statement it incurred “large operational losses” from the
U.S. government’s “unlawful taking” of its spectrum rights without
compensation. In 2023, Ligado sued the U.S. government, alleging the
Department of Defense, Department of Commerce, Congress prevented Ligado
from using spectrum licensed by the FCC.
Ligado Announces
Comprehensive Restructuring Transaction
Posted:
7 January 2025
Company will continue to operate and provide mobile satellite services
January 6, 2025
RESTON, VA. – January 6, 2025 – Satellite
communications company Ligado Networks (“Ligado”) announced today that
it has entered into a comprehensive restructuring support agreement (the
“Restructuring Support Agreement”) with a significant portion of its
existing creditors (the “Supporting Creditors”). The Restructuring
Support Agreement provides for a comprehensive balance sheet
restructuring (“Restructuring”).
The Supporting Creditors hold approximately 88% of
Ligado’s funded indebtedness, and the Restructuring provides for the
conversion of approximately $7.8 billion of existing debt into new
preferred equity and the preservation of the existing interests in the
capital structure below the new preferred equity.
SES, itself busy looking to absorb arch-rival Intelsat
which it agreed to acquire last April, perhaps has its eyes on its next
expansion step. Rumours – wholly unconfirmed – suggest an investment in
AST SpaceMobile could be in the offing.
The satellite operator’s Chief Strategy Officer JP
Hemingway is already on record as saying that SES wanted to work more
closely with the world’s telcos and that SES was watching the rapidly
expanding low Earth orbiting (LEO) sector “very carefully” but was
waiting to see how the technology and business model developed before
jumping in.
Top Satellite
Launches to Watch in 2025
Posted:
7 January 2025
By Rachel Jewett | January 6, 2025
To kick off 2025, Via Satellite’s annual roundup of
Top Launches to Watch is back, highlighting some of the top commercial
satellites expected to launch this year. This list is not exhaustive.
But first, a quick recap of 2024. We saw quite a few
of the satellites on last year’s list take off throughout 2024 — Not
just two, but four satellites for Maxar’s WorldView Legion; Ovzon 3 for
Swedish operator Ovzon; the seventh and eighth satellites in SES’s O3b
mPOWER constellation; the two-satellite Arctic Satellite Broadband
Mission (ABSM); as well as five BlueBirds for AST SpaceMobile and four
MicroGEOS for Astranis.
SES
seeks early wrap on Intelsat purchase
Posted: 3
January 2025
January 2, 2025 |
Chris Forrester | Advanced Television
SES is buying rival Intelsat for $3.1 billion
(€2.99bn) in a deal announced last April. The purchase had been expected
to be completed in the second-half of 2025 once all regulatory hurdles
had been overcome. Now, however, SES wants to wrap the agreement by June
as it cites “fast-moving industry developments” and competitive threats
from the likes of Elon Musk’s Starlink.
On December 19th 2024, SES CEO Adel Al-Salah met with
very senior FCC staffers including Commissioner Brendan Carr (who will
head the FCC after Donald Trump’s inauguration) to lobby for a speedy
conclusion to the purchase according to a report in specialist air
intelligence publication Runway Girl Network.
SES hints Dividend uplift
Posted: 21
December 2024
December 20, 2024 |
Chris Forrester | Advanced Television
For the past few years satellite operator has kept a
very trimmed Dividend for shareholders of an annual €0.50 per annum, for
each ‘A’ share held by shareholders. This past year this has been split
into two separate €0.25 payments made in October 2014 and with the next
due in April 2025. However, this low rate of return could be on the cusp
of being improved.
For two years (2019-2020) the annual dividend was even
lower at 40 cents per annum.
ASTRA 1P Starts
Delivering Content Across Europe
Posted: 20
December 2024
Press release 19 Dec 2024
Most powerful satellite to operate
at SES’s prime TV neighbourhood of 19.2 degrees East will deliver
content to 118 million TV homes
Luxembourg, 19 December 2024 – SES announced today that
ASTRA 1P, the company's most advanced satellite positioned at 19.2 degrees
East, has completed comprehensive testing and is now fully operational.
Following its successful in-orbit raising and performance
testing, ASTRA 1P will now start serving public and private broadcasters,
sports organisations and content owners, achieving another milestone in
SES’s commitment to delivering high-quality broadcast services to the widest
audience possible.
The Power of Ubiquitious Netowkrs to
Unlock Global Connectivity
Posted: 12
December 2024
Jessica Nguyen | December 12, 2024
We’re taken on a journey into the future of
telecommunications in the latest episode of The Satellite World
Briefing, where the boundaries between satellite and cellular networks
are blurred to create a seamless, connected world. Industry leaders
Gerry Collins, Director of Product Management, and Ken Takagi, Director
of Business Development join host Lucas Hunsicker to unpack the
ambitious vision of the “Ubiquitous Network,” a transformative
innovation that aims to deliver a global, high- performance broadband
experience, seamlessly delivered through a single device regardless of
the boundaries of today’s existing mobile networks.
Click
HERE
for
further details from Satellite World
SES and Intelsat,
SB Docket No. 24-267
Posted:
12 December 2024.
SES S.A. (SES) and Intelsat Holdings
S.à.r.l. (Intelsat) have filed applications seeking approval to transfer
control to SES of the licenses and authorizations held by Intelsat and
its subsidiaries. SES operates a fleet of 43 geostationary satellites
and 26 non-geostationary satellites, operating primarily in the C-, Ku-
and Ka-bands. SES offers satellite capacity, products, and services to
customers worldwide, including content distribution and contribution
services to cable, broadcast and media companies; satellite connectivity
to aircraft and maritime vessels; 4G and 5G network expansion and
resiliency for mobile operators; direct connectivity to cloud computing
data centers; and secure communications for government customers.
10 Tech Trends That Will Impact the Satellite Industry in 2025
Posted:
11 December 2024.
By Anne Wainscott Sargent | December 3, 2024
Via
Satellite asked industry leaders to weigh in on the 10 trends that they
are watching most closely in 2025.
As 2024 concludes on the heels of increasing global
conflicts and a contentious U.S. presidential election, the satellite
and space industry is poised for an interesting 12 months as LEO,
launch, and lunar ambitions advance in the push for greater space
resilience.
The World Economic Forum’s Space Economy report
predicts that the industry will grow to $1.8 trillion over the next 11
years, and not surprisingly, 2025 stands to be a pivotal year for space
capabilities, regulatory developments, and global engagement. Despite
economic and geopolitical uncertainty on the ground, excitement for the
final frontier remains strong.
Adel Al-Saleh on
Why Combining SES and Intelsat Fuels the Operator to Scale Up
Posted:
6 December 2024.
By Rachel Jewett and Mark Holmes | December 3, 2024
Shortly after taking the helm as CEO of SES, Adel Al-Saleh
made the splash move to acquire Intelsat in a stunning piece of industry
consolidation. It has echoes of when Eva Berneke became CEO of Eutelsat
and within a short period of time announced a deal to acquire OneWeb.
The satellite industry has entered a new era of fierce
competition in markets such as government, telecoms, aviation, and
cruise. If the deal goes through, SES will have an enviable collection
of Geostationary (GEO) and Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) assets going forward
as it looks to grow its business in the second half of the decade. The
question is whether combining two satellites giants will be the catalyst
to jump-start a new era for one of the most well-known names in
satellite.
Click
HERE
for
further details from Via Satellite.
SES under considerable market pressure
Posted: 12
November 2024
November 11, 2024 | Advanced Television
November 7th saw satellite operator SES present its
latest set of numbers. By and large the all-important analysts thought
they were solid, and there was an initial uptick with share prices
jumping from €3.50 to €3.81. But within a few hours that optimism had
vanished and SES suffered the ignomany of falling to a 52-week ‘all time
low’ of just €3.44. November 8th saw a further decline to €3.39 by the
end of the day and yet another all time low.
Former Intelsat President Ramu Potarazu Joins Lynk Global as CEO
Posted:
9 November 2024.
By Rachel Jewett | November 8, 2024
Lynk Global named former Intelsat President Ramu
Potarazu as CEO on Thursday as the company goes through a special
purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merger.
This comes two months after Lynk announced CCO Dan
Dooley would become CEO. According to the Nov. 7 announcement, Dooley
will resume the position of CCO. A Lynk representative confirmed to Via
Satellite that appointing Potarazu was part of a planned executive
realignment and Dooley was acting in an interim capacity.
Click
HERE
for
further details from Via Satellite.
SES YTD 2024 and Q3 2024 Results
Posted: 8
November 2024
Press release 07 Nov. 2024
Luxembourg, 7 November 2024 -- SES S.A.
announces financial results for the nine months and three months ended
30 September 2024 with solid operational and financial performance
driving the Full Year 2024 revenue and Adjusted EBITDA outturn which is
now expected to close at the top end of SES’s financial outlook range.
SES Tracks With Expectations in Q3 of 2024
Posted:
8 November 2024.
By Rachel Jewett | November 7, 2024
Government revenue within the segment rose 5%
year-over-year, while Fixed Data and Mobility declined 6% and 7%,
respectively. Although Fixed Data was down year-over-year, it grew 16%
sequentially due to new cloud business
Decline in the Media business slowed down in the third
quarter. Revenue of 233 million euros ($251 million) was down 3%
year-over-year after declining more than 5% in the first two quarters of
the year. The segment has benefited from double-digit growth in sports &
events revenue this year.
Year-to-date, group revenue of about 1.5 billion euros
($1.6 billion) is down 1% year-over-year.
Click
HERE
for
further details from Via Satellite.
SES results ahead
of expectations
Posted: 8
November 2024
By Chris Forrester | November 7, 2024
Sami Kassab, an equity analyst at investment bank
BNP/Paribas, summed up the latest (Q3 and year-to-date) revenue numbers
from satellite operator SES and describing them as “solid… and ahead of
consensus”. His comments were made despite the ever-declining income
from SES’s once-vital Video division.
But even in Video there was an improvement (-3 per
cent decline for this latest quarter-year, against -5.5 per cent lower
for the year to date). Video/Media now represents 47 per cent of overall
income for SES and management confirmed during the analysts’ call that
it expects Video/Media to continue showing a reduced rate of decline at
3 per cent in Q4 and expect Government, Fixed Data and Mobility to show
a sequential improvement in Q4. Aviation and Cruise were up in high
single digits in the year to date.
Adel Al-Saleh, SES - Commercial Space
Transformers
Posted: 6
November 2024
Spacenews Editor | November 5, 2024
In this episode of Commercial Space Transformers
SpaceNews Senior Staff Writer Jason Rainbow speaks with Adel Al-Saleh,
CEO, SES.
SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh dives into the fleet operator’s
bold moves in satellite innovation, including the Intelsat acquisition
and the company’s multi-orbit strategy to outpace rivals like Starlink.
Europe Taps Group
Led by Eutelsat, Hipasat, and SES to Build IRIS2
Constellation
Posted:
2 November 2024.
By Rachel Jewett | October 31, 2024
The European Commission selected a team led by
Eutelsat, Hispasat, and SES to build IRIS² — Europe’s future multi-orbit
satellite constellation.
The three European satellite operators will lead a
consortium called SpaceRISE, which includes European subcontractors:
Thales Alenia Space, OHB, Airbus Defence and Space, Telespazio, Deutsche
Telekom, Orange, Hisdesat, and Thales SIX.
With this news, the procurement enters its final phase
and the European Commission said it expects to sign the contract by
December 2024.
IRIS² will be Europe’s third flagship space program
after Galileo and Copernicus. It is planned as a constellation of 290
satellites in both Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) and Low-Earth (LEO) to
provide secure connectivity services to the EU and its Member States,
along with broadband connectivity.
Click
HERE
for
further details from Via Satellite.
'Space junk' threat
to satellites
Posted: 27
October 2024
October 25, 2024
The problems caused by the loss of Intelsat’s i33e
craft on October 19th, which has now been declared a total loss, has
highlighted the problems with other dangerous space junk. A report from
Quartz says that there are now about 3,000 dead satellites littered
across space, and some 34,000 piece of large space junk and millions of
smaller pieces posing threats to orbiting craft.
SES-Intelsat combination's far-reaching
impact on deal-making
Posted: 24
October 2024
Jason Rainbowr | October 23, 2024
TAMPA, Fla. — The ripples from Intelsat’s $3.1 billion
sale to rival satellite operator SES are disrupting and delaying deals
for suppliers and other companies further downstream, according to
finance experts on an Oct. 22 Satellite Innovation panel.
“Intelsat and SES are the two largest geostationary
satellite operators in the world,” noted Armand Musey, a satellite
industry analyst and founder of Summit Ridge Group, driving a large
portion of satellite manufacturing and launch orders.
“And so those markets have come under pressure,” he
continued, affecting “some of the downstream suppliers to each of those
players, and suppliers to those suppliers.
“I mean, the ripple effect downstream is enormous.”
Mohammed Marashi (SES, SVP/Future Business &
Innovation) delivered a fascinating Keynote at the SVSW and its
Satellite Innovation sessions, explaining the might of SES which carries
6400 TV channels to some 363 million viewers in 130 countries. But the
fastest-growing segment at SES was non-video in particular mobility and
data and SES is building rapidly on these changes.
Marashi said that SES was now investing in start-ups,
and was co-developing new products and working with consortia on these
developments and also collaborating with its existing customers on new
developments. He described these developments as being “radical” for
SES, and even “disruptive” and the intention was to accelerate how
things were evolving. The old view at SES even in terms of the O3b fleet
came from its experience with geostationary satellites. In reality we
needed to be thinking more of the O3b fleet as LEO craft.
Intelsat
33e breaks up in goestationary orbit
Posted: 21
October 2024
Jason Rainbow | October 19, 2024
TAMPA, Fla. — The Intelsat 33e satellite has broken up
in geostationary orbit (GEO) and lost power, ceasing communications
services for customers across Europe, Africa and parts of Asia Pacific.
Intelsat said Oct. 19 it is working with satellite
maker Boeing to address an anomaly that emerged earlier that day, but
“believe it is unlikely that the satellite will be recoverable.” An
Intelsat spokesperson said the satellite was not insured at the time of
the issue.
The U.S. Space Force reported it is tracking 20 pieces
of debris associated with the spacecraft.
NAB Concerned About SES-Intelsat Spectrum
Stranglehold
Posted: 18
October 2024
Art Bertenthal | Oct. 17, 2024
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2024 - A major
association of television and radio broadcasters is concerned about a
proposed merger between two large satellite service providers.
The National Association of
Broadcasters, based in Washington D.C., stated in comments filed with
the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday that the proposed $3.1
billion merger could impact the quality and cost of C-band satellite
services.
Intelsat CEO David
Wajsgras Explains Why the Time was Right for the SES Deal
Posted:
1 October 2024.
By Mark Holmes & Rachel Jewett | September 30 2024
Intelsat CEO David Wajsgras shares
why the time was finally right to do the deal with SES, answers some of
the ongoing questions about the acquisition, and talks about the
importance of Intelsat’s terminal strategy.
The SES deal to acquire Intelsat will be remembered as one of the
biggest news stories of 2024. After years of back-and-forth,
will-they-won’t-they, two of the largest satellite operators are now
working through a combination, pending regulatory approval. But what
does it mean for Intelsat, a brand with a storied history in satellite
communications?
Via Satellite recently spoke with Intelsat CEO David
Wajsgras, who has long promoted the value of consolidation. He sees the
answer to competing with well-funded disruptors Starlink and Kuiper in
marshalling a “tri-orbit” fleet of the companies’ Geostationary (GEO and
Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites, supplemented by Low-Earth Orbit
(LEO) capacity, underpinned by tech-savvy terminals and managed
services. In this interview, Wajsgras shares why the time was finally
right to do the deal with SES, answers some of the ongoing questions
about the acquisition, and talks about the importance of Intelsat’s
terminal strategy.
Intelsat gets a license to rescue Galaxy
25
Posted: 30 September 2024
September 27, 2024 By Chris Forrester
The FCC, on September 25th, issued permission for a
rescue attempt on Intelsat’s ‘drifting’ Galaxy 25 satellites with a
Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV/Space Tug) over the next few days. The
FCC is keen on the whole exercise being seen as an experimental mission.
In its permission, the FCC stated: “After an extended
period of drifting, and pursuant to a separate experimental authorisation,
Galaxy 25 will dock with the mission extension vehicle (MEV), and the MEV
will perform a series of tests while docked.”
SES Issues Dividend Payment to Shareholders
Posted:
30 September 2024.
By Mark Holmes | September 27 2024
SES has announced details of a new dividend payment to
shareholders. The SES Board of Directors has approved the payment of an
interim dividend of 0.25 euros ($0.28) per A-share (0.1 euros per
B-share) to be paid to shareholders in October, in line with the
announcement made in February 2024 and SES’s commitment to shareholder
returns. SES made the announcement, Sept. 27.
SES says the implementation of a semi-annual dividend
distribution brings greater alignment between the cash generation of the
business and cash returns to shareholders. The interim dividend to be
paid next month will be followed, subject to shareholder approval, by
the payment of a final dividend of at least 0.25 euros per A-share (0.1
euros per B-share) in April 2025.
Vodaphone to Adopt Intelsat's Flex Portfolio of Connectivity
Posted:
23 September 2024.
By Rachel Jewett | September 22 2024
Vodafone is expanding its work with Intelsat to bring
on-the-move satellite communication to organizations operating in
hard-to-reach areas or disaster zones.
Vodafone and Intelsat announced Monday that Vodafone
is adding Intelsat’s Flex portfolio to its satellite connectivity
product range. This includes communications-on-the-move (COTM) with a
vehicle-mounted antenna, and communications-on-the-pause (COTP) with a
compact satellite terminal. Flex operates on Intelsat’s Geostationary
Orbit (GEO) network.
This expanded connectivity will support businesses,
governments and charities, including the telco’s charitable arm,
Vodafone Foundation, with health and education initiatives in Europe and
Africa.
Click
HERE
for
f
further details from Via Satellite
Intelsat
Unveils Terminal Strategy to Power Multi-Orbit Satellite Services
Posted: 17
September 2024
September 16,
2024
Intelsat
Invests in Paris-based Greenerwave, Launches NextGen Mobility Terminal
Development
MCLEAN, Va. – Intelsat operator of one of the world’s
largest integrated satellite and terrestrial networks and leading provider
of in-flight connectivity (IFC), will be the first operator in the world to
offer multi-orbit solutions for all relevant business units by the first
half of 2025 thanks to a new satellite terminal strategy that will deliver
advanced capabilities and improved economics.
“Intelsat is making strategic bets on new technologies,
including new investments in innovative terminal providers,” said Intelsat
CEO David Wajsgras. “More and more customers will come to count on the broad
reliability profile of multi-orbit solutions, and it is key to our future
success. No single-orbit solution can match what Intelsat can offer when it
comes to performance, resiliency and commercial flexibility.”
Softbank Corp, and Intelsat Launch
Landmark Collaboration to Create Ubiquitous Network
Posted: 17
September 2024
September 16, 2024
MCLEAN, Va. – SoftBank Corp. (“SoftBank”) and Intelsat
signed a groundbreaking collaboration agreement that will lead to the
launch of a single “Ubiquitous Network” enabling customers to stay
connected everywhere they go. SoftBank and Intelsat will jointly lead
research and development of seamless 5G connections between terrestrial
mobile networks and satellite communications networks.
In a society where everyone and everything is increasingly
dependent on staying connected, convenient, and always-on,
telecommunications are essential. However, despite the coming realization of
autonomous mobility with automobiles, ships, drones and other vehicles, many
areas are still without ground-based mobile network coverage and require
separate devices and accounts to connect to non-terrestrial networks.
Satellite giant Intelsat used IBC to
announce an impressive set of new business wins and services. Top of the
list is a contract for a hybrid TV distribution service for A&E
Networks, now branded as Hearst Networks. Intelsat will transmit
Hearst’s portfolio of channels to “hundreds” of points across Europe
thanks to its seamless satellite-terrestrial connection. The signals are
beamed from Intelsat’s 1 degree West satellite and available to some 16
million cable, broadcast and DTH homes. Pascale Fromont, Intelsat’s
VP/GM Media, talking exclusively to Advanced-Television, explained that
global media customers such as A+E Networks increasingly want to work
with a single operator that can provide seamless connections from
satellite to ground-based Internet Protocol distribution networks.
“Intelsat has visibility across the full distribution network, even when
it spans multiple technologies and we can enable our customers to reach
more end users across direct-to-home (DTH), cable, and IPTV, in order to
reach viewers.”
Intelsat
fined for "unauthorised satellite operation"
Posted:
16 August 2024
August 15, 2024
The FCC has fined Intelsat $160,000 (€145k) for the
satellite operator’s “unauthorised operation of its Galaxy 35
satellite.” Intelsat admitted to violating the FCC’s rules, and agreed
to implement a compliance plan, and will pay a $160,000 civil penalty.
The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau, in its statement, said
that Intelsat in April 2022 “requested authority to construct, deploy,
and operate its Galaxy 35 satellite to provide Fixed Satellite Service
on a noncarrier basis at the 95.15° West orbital location”. In October
2022, Intelsat amended the pending application for Galaxy 35 and instead
sought authority to deploy this satellite at 95.05° West.
Intelsat obtained special temporary authority to
conduct telemetry, tracking and command (TT&C) transmissions while
Galaxy 35 drifted from its in-orbit test location toward its authorized
location of 95.05° West. In a request for further special temporary
authority to drift Galaxy 35, Intelsat incorrectly advised the FCC that
the satellite was then being drifted toward its authorised location,
which was 95.05° West. However, Intelsat was in fact drifting Galaxy 35
toward 94.85° West.
ClickHEREfor
further details from
Advanced Television
SES H1 2024
Posted:
2 August 2024
Luxembourg, 1 August 2024 -- SES S.A. announces financial results for
the six months ended 30 June 2024.
H1 performance
underpins 2024 Full Year outlook
• Revenue of €978 million (-0.6% YOY) and Adjusted EBITDA of €525
million (-0.9% YOY)
• Networks (+5.0% YOY) including 8.4% YOY growth in Government
• Video performance -6.7% YOY with important new long-term renewals
signed
• Adjusted Free Cash Flow (AFCF) of €146 million and Net Leverage at
1.7x (including cash & cash equivalents of €2.1 billion)
• 2024 revenue outlook (of €1,940 - 2,000 million) on track and
unchanged
• 2024 Adjusted EBITDA outlook (of €950 - 1,000 million) tracking to
upper half of the expected range
Fully Funded &
highly accretive Intelsat acquisition will create a stronger multi-orbit
competitor
• Regulatory process underway and on track for closing during H2
2025
• Integration & synergies planning progressing to ensure maximum
possible execution from Day 1
• Combination doubles revenue from growing Networks segments and
unlocks €370 million of run-rate synergies (70% within 3 years)
• Mid-single digit Adjusted EBITDA CAGR (2024E-2028E) to drive
‘normalised’ AFCF of more than €1 billion by 2027E/2028E
• SES’s investment grade rating re-affirmed and Net Leverage expected
to be below 3x within 12-18 months after closing
Adel Al-Saleh, CEO of SES, commented:
“H1 2024 revenue and Adjusted EBITDA were in line with our expectations
reflecting solid execution. We are on track to deliver on our Full Year
2024 financial objectives. Networks, which now represents more than 50%
of our business, continued to grow supported by key wins in the
government segment, while our Media business secured additional customer
commitments to reinforce our solid cash generation fundamentals.
The entry of O3b mPOWER into commercial
service in April was a key milestone for SES with committed customers
now being deployed onto the system. We remain on track to expand the
initial constellation starting with the next launch of satellites 7-8 at
the end of this year, followed in 2025 with satellites 9-11 and 2026
with satellites 12-13, accelerating our profitable long-term growth
trajectory.
Forrester's Digest:
SES H1: Video revenues under pressure
Posted 2 August
2024
August 1,
2024
Satellite operator SES has reported
€978 million in H2 revenues, down 0.6 per cent y-o-y. 2024 revenue
outlook (of €1.94 billion – €2 billion) remains unchanged. CEO Adel Al-Saleh
said that the company’s acquisition of Intelsat is “on track” and
remains due to close later next year.
“The entry of O3b mPOWER into
commercial service in April was a key milestone for SES with committed
customers now being deployed onto the system. We remain on track to
expand the initial constellation starting with the next launch of
satellites 7-8 at the end of this year, followed in 2025 with satellites
9-11 and 2026 with satellites 12-13, accelerating our profitable
long-term growth trajectory,” Al-Saleh stated. “With the launch of ASTRA
1P to 19.2E in June, we are leveraging the latest technological
innovation to sustain our most important cash-generative media
neighborhood for the long-term, while simultaneously capturing
significant CapEx efficiencies.”
SES Shows Momentum in Gov and Mobility in the First Half of 2024
Posted:
2 August 2024.
By Rachel Jewett | August 1, 2024
Satellite operator SES reported strong
momentum in its Networks business, particularly in the Government and
Mobility sectors, as it reported its first half 2024 financial results
on Aug. 1.
Overall, SES reported 978 million euro
($1.1 billion) of revenue in the first half of 2024, down less than 1%
year-over-year. Net profit was 73 million euros ($79 million).
The Networks business continues to
grow, increasing revenue in H1 by 5% year-over-year to 523 million euros
($565 million). The Networks business now makes up more than 54% of the
company’s overall revenue.
Mobility saw the largest growth in the
Networks segment, up 11% year-over-year to 154 million euros ($166
million).
SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh told investors on
Thursday that within the Mobility segment, maritime saw double-digit
growth in the first half of the year with periodic revenue and new
cruise ships added to the service portfolio. Aviation saw high
single-digit growth for new contracts signed to support in-flight
connectivity (IFC) partners.
Click
HERE
for
f
further details from Via Satellite
Intelsat Advances 3GPP Approval for Unified Satellite and Terrestrial
Network
Posted:
27 July 2024
By Rachel Jewett | July 26, 2024
The 3GPP mobile standards organization
has approved an Intelsat-led Ku-band project for standardization.
Intelsat led the effort with support from 35 companies and 3GPP
community members, including other satellite operators, terrestrial
vendors, and mobile network operators (MNOs).
The approval of the “Ku-band Work
Package” means that Intelsat and other satellite providers will now
begin the process leading to full certification to deploy Ku-band-based
5G New Radio (NR) services, targeted to be completed at the end of 2025.
Intelsat C-band 'Insider Trading' case
dismissed
Posted: 27
July 2024
July 26
, 2024
A long-running Class Action against
certain Intelsat directors and their investment firms and its then
chairman (Dave McGlade) alleging inside trading has been dismissed by a
US Appeals Court.
The Class Action, led by a hedge fund
Walleye Opportunities Master Fund, and others, had “failed to adequately
show that the insiders learned adverse news about [satellite] broadcast
frequency licencing prior to selling their shares,” stated the Appeals
Court.
The Court found that the two investment
firms which were shareholders in Intelsat (Silver Lake Group and BC
Partners) as well as Intelsat’s chairman Dave McGlade had not known
about
SES + RTL
Deutschland extend partnership across Germany + Austria on ASTRA 19.2
degrees East
Posted 19 July
2024
July 18, 2024
SES and RTL Deutschland have extended their long-term partnership to
deliver a wide range of high-quality range of TV channels to audiences
across Germany and Austria -- this extension will run to the end of the
decade. RTL Deutschalnd's TV offering will also continue to be
available on HD-SES's high-definition satellite TV platform in Germany.
The agreement, which covers the distribution of SD, HD and UHD TV
channels via SES’s prime TV neighborhood at 19.2 degrees East, will help
ensure that viewers across the region can access their favorite programs
with an optimal viewing experience, including RTL, VOX, ntv, NITRO,
SUPER RTL, TOGGO plus, RTLup, VOXup, RTLZWEI and the RTL UHD event
channel.
In addition to satellite capacity, SES will now provide uplinking
services for RTL Deutschland’s TV channels directly from its facilities
in Munich, Germany and Betzdorf, Luxembourg.
The Viasat/Inmarsat Deal: One Year Out
Posted:
19 July 2024
One year after the Inmarsat acquisition closed, Via Satellite talks up
with the Viasat leadership team about the business integration, ViaSat-3
ramifications, and how they see the opportunity for global scale amid a
changing industry.
By Rachel Jewett | June 25, 2024
When the acquisition closed last summer, the Carlsbad,
California-based business was preparing for global expansion with the
trio of ViaSat-3 high capacity satellites that had been in the works for
years. U.K.-based Inmarsat brought global coverage to the table, with
its fleet of Ka-band and L-band satellites.
What happened next has been well documented. Soon
after clearing a lengthy approval process to close the deal in early
summer of 2023, Viasat experienced a shocking setback when the first
ViaSat-3 satellite had a major anomaly, slashing the satellite’s
available capacity. Later that summer, the I-6 F2 satellite also
suffered an “unprecedented” anomaly. These anomalies forced the operator
to recalibrate while it was going through the integration process.
Now one year after the acquisition closed, Via
Satellite caught up with the Viasat leadership team to talk about the
business integration, ViaSat-3 ramifications, and how they see the
opportunity for global scale amid a changing industry.
We have lost
contact with these members below. If you have any information on
how to contact them, please send us an EMail at:
info@myiraa.com
Geoffrey
Cheadle Mildred Coover John Crispin
Lydia Esguerra Fred Foldvary Roy Lee Huffman
Jethro Shedrick
Intelsat
confirms another space tug rescue mission
Posted: 1
July 2024
June 28
, 2024
Intelsat has signed a contract with Starfish Space for
a geostationary satellite space tug servicing mission which will take
place in 2026.
Starfish Space’s ‘Otter’ rescue satellite will attach
itself to an already retired Intelsat craft to validate that the system
can work. This test linkage will be followed by another rescue mission
for an – as yet – unspecified active satellite.
Intelsat already has a two rescue tugs working in
space. Its Intelsat 10-02 craft is using Northrop Grumman’s Mission
Extension Vehicle MEV-2 service vehicle. The rescue was originally
planned to last for five years (from 2021) but in May Intelsat announced
that it had extended the contract with Northrop Grumman to keep MEV-2 in
place and married to Intelsat 10-02 for an additional four years.
Starfish
Space to extend Intelsat satellite life in first commercial mission
Posted:
27 June 2024
Jason | June 26, 2024
TAMPA, Fla. — Starfish Space aims to extend the
operational life of a geostationary Intelsat satellite in 2026 after
reaching a deal for its first commercial servicing mission.
Jean-Luc Foreliger, Intelsat’s senior vice president
of space systems, said Starfish is in the middle of picking a rocket to
launch its mini-fridge-sized Otter servicer between October 2025 and
June 2026.
Starfish would first try to attach Otter to a retired
Intelsat satellite parked in graveyard orbit, some 360 kilometers above
the geostationary arc, to validate its approach and docking
capabilities.
SES Announces
Successful Syndication and Raising of C3 Billion Acquisition Financing
Posted:
21 June 2024
€2.1 billion bridge facility provided by a group of
relationship banks • US$1 billion bank term loan facility to cover part
of the financing requirements • Extension of existing €1.2 billion
revolving credit facility by two additional years
Luxembourg, 19 June 2024 – SES S.A. announces the
successful syndication of a €3 billion equivalent acquisition financing
package to support the earlier announced agreement for SES to acquire
Intelsat S.A.. Prior to the Intelsat deal announcement, Deutsche Bank AG
and Morgan Stanley jointly had underwritten a €3 billion bridge facility
to support SES’s financing requirements as part of the agreement to
acquire Intelsat. This €3 billion bridge facility has been successfully
syndicated now, with a highly oversubscribed level of commitments, to an
international group of existing relationship and new banks in the form
of a €2.1 billion bridge facility and US$1 billion term loan. The term
loan was upsized in syndication on the back of a strong response from
the bank group.
We are pleased to Welcome the following new member
to the Intelsat
Retirees and Alumni Association:
June
2024
Cristina Gonzalez-Beltran
Inside SIA's 2024 State of the Satellite
Industry Report
Posted:
17 June 2024
By Rachel Jewett | June 13, 2024
The global satellite industry grew revenue by 2% in
2023, as most segments of the industry except satellite TV saw gains,
according to the Satellite Industry Association’s (SIA) annual report.
SIA released the 27th annual State of the Satellite
Industry report on June 13, produced by BryceTech. The report takes
stock of activity in segments across the industry, from manufacturing,
satellite services, launch, space sustainability, and ground equipment.
While launches and Low-Earth Orbit (LEO)
constellations garner the most media headlines, the report shows that
launch continues to be a small fraction of overall industry revenue —
and the declining satellite TV market still holds a major share of
industry revenue.
Intelsat bankruptcy: Case closed
Posted: 11
June 2024
June 10
, 2024
| Advanced Television
Intelsat emerged from its Chapter 11 bankruptcy in
February 2022. However, there were many smaller matters that its
bankruptcy court still had outstanding, not least a dispute between
Intelsat and SES over how the FCC’s C-band incentive payments were to be
divided.
Over the past few months, these minor elements have
all been resolved. Smaller claims have been settled and with the agreed
purchase by SES of Intelsat itself now progressing (although not likely
to wrap until later next year), the bankruptcy court has determined that
all matters it was handling have now been settled to its satisfaction.
Judge Keith Phillips, who had handled the bankruptcy
in his ruling, said simply “The Chapter 11 case having been fully
administered, the case is hereby closed.” The court issued its Final
Decree to all the (mostly earlier) interested parties in a formal
notification on June 6th.
SES's Acquisition
of Intelsat Marks a New Chapter in the History of the Space Age
Posted:
5 June 2024
By Roger Cochetti | June 4, 2024
The recent announcement that Luxemburg-based satellite
operator SES acquired Intelsat, the former inter-governmental satellite
organization, represents the final paragraph of what I describe as the
third chapter of the Space Age. The next Space Age chapter has begun and
it will change many rules. To make sense of this emerging Space Age
environment, we need to take a brief look at the Space Age itself and
how it’s gotten us to the next chapter, what I’ll call “Chapter IV: In
Space, Everything’s Up for Grabs.”
Historians have various ways to demark the Space Age.
I prefer four chapters beginning in the 1930’s with “Chapter I: Space as
a Major Weapon” when German scientists pioneered the development of
rocketry as a major weapon system. Through the V-2 Rocket, the world saw
major weapons coming down from Space potentially destroying entire
cities. The emerging US and Soviet superpowers watched carefully; and
German rockets and rocket scientists were soon the two superpowers’ most
sought-after commodities when the War ended. This led to the development
of larger and more powerful Soviet and American rockets during the
postwar years and their being equipped with nuclear weapons or spy
cameras. During Chapter I (1930’s-1950’s), the Space Age began as a
military event.
SES Launches SES
Orbits IFC Network
Posted: 31
May 2024
May 30, 2024
SES has reached agreements-in-principle
with several regional satellite network operators to launch the SES Open
Orbits™ Inflight Connectivity (IFC) Network to enable seamless
connectivity services to airlines around the world.
This fully interoperable Ka-band platform
will combine the GEO and MEO satellite networks of SES; NEO Space Group
(NSG), a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF);
AeroSat Link (ASL), a subsidiary of China Satcom; and Hughes
Communications India (HCI).
Intelsat Signs Four-Year MEV Satellite Life Extension Deal with Northrop
Grumman
Posted:
24
May 2024
by Jeffrey Hill | May 23, 2024
Satellite operator Intelsat has signed
with Northrop Grumman‘s SpaceLogistics to utilize its two Mission
Extension Vehicles (MEVs) and service its satellites for at least
another four years. The contract agreement, announced Thursday, is
itself a life-extension of a six-year-long partnership between the two
companies that has showcased how the MEV-1 and MEV-2 vehicles can extend
the life of aging Geostationary Orbit (GEO satellites beyond their
typical 15-20 year lifespan.
SpaceLogistics’ MEV-1 vehicle docked with Intelsat’s
IS-901 in 2020, marking the first time that two commercial spacecraft
docked and began mission-extension service in GEO. After docking, MEV-1
pointed IS-901 to targeted antennas on Earth. Intelsat said the maneuver
extended the satellite’s life for another five years.
.
Click
HERE
for
further details from Via Satellite
Viasat Stock Dips
After Operator Projects Flat Revenue in FY '25n
Posted:
24
May 2024
Rachel Jewett | May 23, 2024
Viasat posted record revenue for fiscal year 2024, its
first year including Inmarsat’s contribution, post-acquisition. But the
company’s stock dipped 16% on Wednesday as Viasat projected flat revenue
in the coming year due to competition in the broadband market and delays
with aircraft connectivity installations.
The satellite operator delivered record revenue of
$4.3 billion in fiscal year 2024, a 68% increase from $2.6 billion a
year ago. This is the first year to include Inmarsat’s contribution
after Viasat closed the transaction on May 30, 2023.
.
Click
HERE
for
further details from Via Satellite
Intelsat 2023 Annual Financial report (audited)
Posted:
10 May 2024.
SES and Intelsat:
the Biggest Deal of 2024
Posted:
8 May 2024
A collection of Via Satellite interviews and in-depth
analysis on the combination of two satellite industry giants.
After years of rumors of a possible merger, SES
announced on April 30 that it will acquire fellow satellite operator
Intelsat in a $3.1 billion deal. Bringing together these two industry
giants will create the largest Geostationary (GEO) satellite operator in
existence, with a fleet of more than 100 satellites.
While not wholly surprising, the deal will likely have
a major impact on the satellite industry. With massive GEO assets, SES’s
Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) fleet, and Intelsat’s agreement for Low-Earth
Orbit (LEO) capacity, leaders say this deal will create a formidable
multi-orbit operator to go after growth markets like government and
mobility.
In this Content Collection, Via Satellite takes a
close look at the acquisition. We share commentary from a number of
analysts breaking down the strength of the operators’ multi-orbit assets
and how it will impact competition with Starlink and Kuiper.
Breaking Down the SES/Intelsat Deal: Analysts Review Multi-Orbit Assets
and Competitive Effects
Posted:
3 May 2024
Though it long had been the subject of rumors, SES‘s agreement to
finally acquire Intelsat still sent shockwaves through the satellite
industry as the result will see the merge of two iconic global
operators. Via Satellite spoke to a number of analysts to analyze the
deal from the strength of the operators’ multi-orbit assets, to how it
will impact competition with Starlink.
This roundtable includes Daniel Welch, co-founder and senior consultant
of Valour Consultancy; Luigi Scatteia, partner, Space Practice Global
Lead for PwC; Frost & Sullivan analysts Arjun Sreekumar, consulting
director, Middle East & Europe, Growth Advisory, Aerospace & Defense and
Pravin Pradeep, industry analyst, Aerospace & Defence; and Lluc Palerm,
research director for Analysys Mason.
Full details of
SES, Intelsat deal
Posted: 1
May 2024
May 1, 2024
SES’s senior management briefed analysts after their
April 30th announcement that SES would buy Intelsat in a $3.1 billion
(€2.8bn) cash purchase. The deal is transformational, not just for SES
and Intelsat themselves but for the industry as a whole.
However, despite some very appealing statistics and
forecasts, shareholders were extremely unhappy. Its share price crashed
within moments of the announcement and during the day hit an ‘all time
low’ of €4.13. It recovered a little as the afternoon went on and
‘bottom feeding’ buyers realised the stock was – perhaps – at bargain
basement prices. Neverthelp
ess, in three days its shares lost 20 per cent
of their value as investors realised the agreement with Intelsat meant a
probable 3-5 year timetable before tangible benefits would be felt.
On the upside the purchase means that SES, once the
deal wraps, will control more than 100 geostationary satellites and 26
medium Earth orbiting craft. Neither business owns a Low Earth orbiting
(LEO) fleet but SES has a capacity agreement with Elon Musk’s Starlink,
while Intelsat has a similar agreement with Eutelsat’s OneWeb.
SES Explains the
Strategy Behind the Long-Anticipated Acquisition of Intelsat
Posted:
1 May 2024
by Mark Holmes, Rachel Jewett | April 30, 2024
That SES will acquire Intelsat for $3.1 billion. It is
a massive piece of industry consolidation, bringing together two of the
largest satellite operators for a combined company with around $4
billion in revenue, more than 100 satellites in Geostationary Orbit
(GEO), and 26 satellites in Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO).
SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh pitched the merger as bringing
the companies together to create a player with a stronger multi-orbit
position in the market to deliver better offerings in high-value markets
like government and mobility
“This is a highly dynamic market. There’s new
competition. This market is moving very fast, new LEO [Low-Earth Orbit]
entrants are launching constellations. Having scale and a multi-orbit
capability is critical to success. Being isolated or cornered into one
part of the market without having the breadth and capability to compete
is a difficult way to compete in this market,” Al-Saleh told analysts
and investors on April 30.
“The stronger positioning in a multi-orbit capability
gives us ways to deliver [solutions] to clients that we would struggle
to deliver independently,” he added.
SES
to acquire Intelsat; solid Q1
Posted: 1
May 2024
April 30
, 2024 By Chris Forrester
SES vs Intelsat C-band hearng postponed
Posted: 1 May 2024 April 22, 2024 By Chris Forrester The long-running
legal battle between SES and Intelsat over more than $400 million
(€375.2m) which SES is claiming out of the sum received by Intelsat from
the FCC’s compensation scheme for the reuse of C-band, has been
postponed. A hearing initially set for April 24th has now been
rescheduled for July 17th. SES is arguing that Intelsat agreed to a
50/50 split of the FCC’s overall $9 billion C-band compensation.
Intelsat has hold of the cash and insists that the agreement didn’t
stand once the FCC agreed to a public – and not a private – auction of
the frequencies. .Click HERE for further details from Advanced
Television.
The deal is not expected to clear regulatory hurdles
much before H2 2025, and could well face anti-trust challenges in the
US.
“The transaction has been unanimously approved by the
Board of Directors of both companies and Intelsat shareholders holding
approximately 73 per cent of the common shares have entered into
customary support
agreements requiring them to vote in favour of the transaction,” added
SES.
Luxembourg and McLean, VA, 30 April 2024 — SES S.A.
(“SES”) and Intelsat S.A. (“Intelsat”) announce an agreement for SES to
acquire Intelsat through the purchase of 100% of the equity of Intelsat
Holdings S.a.r.l. for a cash consideration of $3.1 billion (€2.8
billion) and certain contingent value rights. The combination will
create a stronger multi-orbit operator with greater coverage, improved
resiliency, expanded suite of solutions, enhanced resources to
profitably invest in innovation, and benefit from the collective talent,
expertise, and track record of both companies.
SES to acquire
Intelsat for $3.1bn
Posted:
30 April 2024
by Jeff Fouost | April 30, 2024
WASHINGTON — SES is acquiring rival satellite operator
Intelsat for $3.1 billion, a deal that would bring together two of the
major GEO satellite operators in a market facing increased competition
from LEO constellations.
The companies announced April 30 that they had agreed
on the deal, subject to regulatory approvals. SES will pay $3.1 billion
in cash along with certain contingent value rights for 100% of Intelsat.
The transaction is not expected to close until the second half of 2025.
SES said it will fund the deal through existing cash
on hand, which it estimates to be $2.6 billion at the end of March,
along with debt. The combined company would have about $4.1 billion in
annual revenues and estimated adjusted earnings before interest, taxes,
depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $1.9 billion this year. The
combined company will remain headquartered in Luxembourg, where SES is
based, but will maintain a “significant presence” at Intelsat’s home in
the Washington, D.C., area.
SES vs Intelsat C-band hearing postponed
Posted: 26
April 2024
April 22
, 2024 By Chris Forrester
The long-running legal battle between SES and Intelsat
over more than $400 million (€375.2m) which SES is claiming out of the
sum received by Intelsat from the FCC’s compensation scheme for the
reuse of C-band, has been postponed.
A hearing initially set for April 24th has now been
rescheduled for July 17th.
SES is arguing that Intelsat agreed to a 50/50 split
of the FCC’s overall $9 billion C-band compensation. Intelsat has hold
of the cash and insists that the agreement didn’t stand once the FCC
agreed to a public – and not a private – auction of the frequencies.
US government could
help fund Intelsat's MEO plans
Posted:
13 April 2024
by Jason | April 12, 2024
TAMPA, Fla. — Intelsat is in talks with the U.S.
government to help fund 17 medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites to expand
the operator’s multi-orbit broadband network.
CEO David Wajsgras said the company, which operates
geostationary satellites but also provides low Earth orbit (LEO)
services via leased capacity from OneWeb, is due to pick companies to
build its own MEO network before the end of June.
“We’ve been looking at multiple manufacturing partners
for the bus, the sensors and for some of the modules,” Wajsgras told
SpaceNews in an interview, “and determining the exact construct of the
team that would put those satellites on orbit in approximately
three-and-a-half to four years from now.”
Intelsat contemplates next step
Posted: 11
April 2024
April 10
, 2024 By Chris Forrester
It was recently reported how Intelsat was facing up to
its future and how it would compete with rival satellite operators.
More detail has now emerged. Intelsat has been through
something of a nightmare this past few years, emerging – more or less –
from Chapter 11 bankruptcy with much reduced interest obligations and
the recipient of the FCC’s almost $5 billion in compensation for its
C-band frequencies. One key indicator is that Intelsat’s current owners
could move the company towards an IPO probably around 2027.
We are pleased to Welcome the following new member
to the Intelsat
Retirees and Alumni Association: March
2024
Lare Atcha-Oubou
Intelsat outlines future; plans for MEO
Posted: 21
March 2024
March 20, 2024
David Wajsgras, CEO at Intelsat, used his Keynote at
the Washington Satellite 2024 show to explain how the satellite giant
was changing from its past role, albeit important global supplier of
bandwidth, to what he saw as new opportunities. Included in his
discussion was news that Intelsat was close to deciding on a
Medium-Earth orbiting constellation (MEO).
Wajsgras, which had last year’s merger with SES
happened would have been the CEO at the combined company, told delegates
that Intelsat was changing to provide full-scale, end-to-end solutions
for its clients and was looking forward to greater use of Medium Earth
orbiting and in particular direct-to-user connectivity.
.Click
HERE
for
further details from Advanced Television
Intelsat Advances Multi-Orbit Strategy
with Expansion of Eutelsat Group LEO Agreement
Posted: 20
March 2024
March 19, 2024
MCLEAN, Va. – Intelsat today announced a strategic
advance in its service capabilities through an expanded partnership with
Eutelsat Group related to that company’s OneWeb low-earth orbit (LEO)
constellation. The deal is a significant development for multi-orbit
satellite connectivity solutions and positions Intelsat at the forefront
of the next wave in global connectivity.
The arrangement provides a commitment of $250 million
for LEO service over the first six years, with an option for an
additional $250 million. This agreement will increase and further
integrate LEO capabilities into Intelsat’s solutions offerings across
its current and future customer base.
Top
Operators Bring a Laser-Like Focus to New Markets
Posted: 20
March 2024
by Maria Torrieri | March 19, 2024
SATELLITE 2024’s Opening General Session on Tuesday
brought together satellite industry leaders in a lively — and slightly
heated — discussion on global broadband connectivity, technology, and
what’s next for legacy operators amid competition from Starlink.
Gwynne Shotwell, president and COO of SpaceX, touched
on several developments — including updates with Starlink, the recent
John Deere deal, and Starship’s test flight — in addition to announcing
SpaceX’s next frontier: plug and play lasers.
10
Hottest Satellite Companies in 2024
Posted:
23 February 2024
by Rachel Jewett | February 22, 2024
Via Satellite’s 10 Hottest Companies rounds up 10
“must watch” companies in the satellite industry, from constellations,
manufacturing, launch, and more. Via Satellite editors chose the
companies on this list based on their expected activity for the year,
and a mix of market share, transformational technology, ground-breaking
deals, and overall industry excitement.
Now in its sixth year, it’s fascinating to see new
companies make the list as the industry evolves. A number of these
companies didn’t exist when the list started in 2019. The companies
selected as the 2024 10 Hottest Companies in Satellite are listed here
in alphabetical order:
Amazon / Project Kuiper For at least the next couple
of years, Amazon will be playing catch up in the race to deploy its
Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite broadband constellation. Unlike other
competitors making the leap from on paper to on orbit, Amazon’s vast
financial resources provided the company with more time and a longer
runway for its massive 3,236-satellite LEO system to take off. At the
start of the new year, that time is running short.
We are pleased to Welcome the following new member
to the Intelsat
Retirees and Alumni Association: February
2024
Kenneth Sierzega
Intelsat is Awarded
Air Force Connectivity Contract
Posted:
16 February 2024
Deal Covers Experimental Defense Connectivity for
Military Aircraft
MCLEAN, Va. – Intelsat, operator of one of the world’s
largest integrated satellite and terrestrial networks, will develop and
test multi-orbit satellite communications (SATCOM) systems on several
different Air Force aircraft following the award of a new contract from
the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory.
The deal is part of the Defense Experimentation Using
Commercial Space Internet (DEUCSI) program to address the government’s
need for resilient communications for aircraft, using multi-band,
multi-orbit implementations that can seamlessly be switched between
orbits at a moment’s notice. The contract is for one year and has a
contract value of $9 million.
me, after using C-band proceeds to
pay down its debt. Intelsat emerged from bankruptcy proceedings about 18
months ago, cutting its debt in the process from from approximately $16
billion to $7 billion.
Enhancing FAST Channel Distribution with Satellite
Posted:
16 February 2024
15 February 2024 Mandy Cassells, Principal Product
Manager, Intelsat Media
FAST channels (Free Ad-supported Television) are
booming worldwide and are disrupting traditional video consumption.
According to Kantar, FAST is the quickest-growing streaming option in
the U.S. with 47% of households now utilizing FAST every week.
So, what’s driving FAST adoption? Cost and
accessibility are key drivers. Viewers are being pushed towards free
ad-supported options due to price hikes by many subscription streaming
services. Additionally, the pace of new content creation has slowed.
Intelsat invests in
hiSky
Posted: 10
February 2024
February 9, 2024 By Chris Forrester
hiSky, which provides advanced satellite communication
solutions, has signed an investment and strategic collaboration
agreement with Intelsat. The investment marks a transformative
development in the delivery of reliable, high-throughput satellite
connectivity.
Intelsat’s investment in hiSky underscores hiSky’s
technological prowess and market potential and places Intelsat as
shareholders in the Israel-based company, joining Singapore-based ST
Engineering’s Corporate Venture Capital, UAE-based SDF (Strategic
Development Fund) owned by EDGE Group PJSC, and other current hiSky
shareholders. The size of the investment was not revealed.
.Click
HERE
for
further details from
Advanced Television
Intelsat
SES gets expedited hearing on Intelsat claim
Posted:
6 February 2024
February 5, 2024 By Chris Forrester
Intelsat’s Bankruptcy Court has agreed to hold a
hearing into the SES claim for a larger share of the FCC’s C-band
compensation payment. Judge Phillips will hold the hearing at his
Richmond, Virginia court on April 24th.
In essence, SES is asking for the hearing to resolve
the dilemma of having ‘won’ an appeal against Judge Phillips’ earlier
verdict to deny SES a greater share of the C-band payments.
Click
HERE
for
further details from Advanced Television
Astroscale, Boeing, SES and Intelsat Take Stock of 2023
Posted:
27 January 2024
by Mark Holmes -- January
26, 2024
2023 was a very eventful year in the satellite
industry, and a number of companies made significant announcements as
the industry heads into this unprecedented multi-orbit era. 2024
promises to be as equally as significant as companies look to make good
on bold, ambitious business plans with more competition than ever.
To kick off the new year, Via Satellite reached out to
a number of the industry’s most well-known names to find out how they
viewed the events of 2023. This roundtable features Nobu Okada, CEO of
Astroscale; Michelle Parker, vice president of Boeing Space Mission
Systems; Rui Pinto, CEO of SES,and David Wajsgras, CEO of Intelsat.
Investment in the space sector
bounced back last year, with $12.5 billion raised in 2023, according
to a report Tuesday by New York-based Space Capital.
That was well above last year’s $9.3
billion raised but still below the $15.3 billion brought in during
the record-high space investment of 2021.
Space infrastructure companies have
been resilient through the recent downturn, but Space Capital’s
report also highlighted 2023 as “a year of consolidation,” with 39
M&A deals.
Investment in the space sector bounced back last year,
rebounding closer to the record high of 2021, according to a report
Tuesday by New York-based Space Capital.
“Investment in Infrastructure remained strong,
accounting for 70% of total 2023 investment and notching its second
highest annual record, spurred by countercyclical revenue from
government customers,” Space Capital managing partner Chad Anderson
wrote in the report.
The firm’s fourth-quarter report found that space
infrastructure companies brought in $2.6 billion of private investment
during the period. That brought the sector to $12.5 billion in total
investment for 2023, well above last year’s $9.3 billion raised but
still below the $15.3 billion brought in during 2021.
Intelsat Expects
$2.1B in Revenue This Year, Execs Outline Pivot to Solutions Provider
Posted: 3
December 2023
by Rachel Jewett | December 1, 2023
McLean, VIRGINIA — Intelsat expects to earn $2.1
billion in revenue this year, CEO David Wajsgras said during an investor
day event on Nov. 30, giving a rare look at the company’s finances and
outlining its “strategic reset” from a bandwidth supplier to an
end-to-end solutions provider.
Executives said Thursday that the company is in the
best financial position in a long time, after using C-band proceeds to
pay down its debt. Intelsat emerged from bankruptcy proceedings about 18
months ago, cutting its debt in the process from approximately $16
billion to $7 billion.
Intelsat wins IFC on Aerolineas
Argentinas
Posted:
23 November 2023
by Mark Holmes --November 21, 2023
Intelsat has made a breakthrough in the in-flight
connectivity (IFC) market in Latin America. It announced Nov. 20 that
Aerolíneas Argentinas has tapped Intelsat to provide multi-orbit
in-flight connectivity services on 18 Airbus A330 and Boeing 737 MAX
aircraft.
The airline will become the first in Latin America to
offer service using Intelsat’s new electronically steered antenna (ESA).
It is less than 7 centimeters tall and interoperates on both Intelsat’s
family of Geostationary (GEO) satellites and its partner’s constellation
of Low-Earth Orbit (LEO)
Click
HERE
for
further details from
Advanced Television
Intelsat
Responds to SES's "bombastic brief"
Posted: 16 November 2023
November 15, 2023
| By Chris Forrester
SES might have received the FCC’s $3 billion (€2.76bn)
in compensation for handing over its C-band satellite frequencies in
October 2023. But the long-running arguments over how the FCC’s overall
compensation was allocated continue to resonate between SES and
Intelsat.
Lawyers for SES filed their argument to Intelsat’s
bankruptcy court on September 28th seeking about $421 million in extra
payment from Intelsat and as part of a 50/50 agreement between SES and
Intelsat. Their argument has the support of a successful appeal in front
of the District Court.
ClickHEREfor
further details from
Advanced Television
UK
pushing to combine OneWeb Gen 2 and European sovereign constellation
efforts
Posted: 4
November 2023
by Jason | November 3, 2023
TAMPA, Fla. — The U.K.’s space minister hopes to
convince Europe to use OneWeb’s proposed second-generation satellites
instead of pursuing a standalone constellation now that the British
operator has merged with Eutelsat of France.
Europe’s plans for a global sovereign connectivity
network by 2027 could take the form of hosted payloads on the upgraded
low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites Eutelsat aims to deploy around the same
time, George Freeman told SpaceNews in an interview.
Combining efforts would save costs during tough
economic conditions while also reducing the mass of objects in space.
SES
and Boeing in a mess over O3b
Posted: 2
November 2023
November 1, 2023
The latest batch of O3b satellites, called mPOWER, are
all malfunctioning. The problem is in the power supply of the four in
orbit and two others due to be launched on November 12th. Manufacturers
Boeing is having to supply two additional satellites to compensate SES
for the problems.
SES temporary CEO, Ruy Pinto, admitted to analysts
that the power problems are worse than originally thought and that the
fleet’s expected orbital lifetime will be significantly shorter than
planned. SES said on October 31st that the existing orbiting satellites
had suffered increasing “non-recoverable” events.
Click
HERE
for
further details from
Advanced Television
SpaceX launches Intelsat's IS-40e high
throughput satellite
Posted:
1 November 2023
by Jason -- 31
October, 2023
TAMPA, Fla. — Electrical issues disclosed a few months
ago on the first four O3b mPower satellites in medium Earth orbit will
significantly reduce their operational life and broadband capacity,
their operator SES announced Oct. 31.
SES interim CEO Ruy Pinto said getting the performance
originally expected from the next-generation MEO constellation will
require Boeing to build two more O3b mPower satellites than initially
planned, alongside upgrades on five others already in the works.
Two upcoming O3b mPower satellites set to launch in a
few weeks will not have these upgrades to enable SES to start initial
services no earlier than April.
SES and Boeing to Share Risk and CapEx on
2 Additional mPOWER Satellites
Posted:
1 November 2023
by Rachel Jewett | 31 October,
2023
SES is pushing back the start of commercial service
for its O3b mPOWER constellation to early in the second quarter of 2024,
as it deals with power module issues on the satellites. To deal with the
impact to the constellation, SES “reshaped” its contract with
manufacturer Boeing to upgrade five of the remaining satellites and add
two new satellites to the constellation.
CEO Ruy Pinto gave an update on the next-generation
Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) program on Tuesday during SES’s third quarter
2023 call with investors. In August, SES reported “trip offs” on some of
the power modules on board the four satellites on orbit.
Next-Generation Cybersecurity Defenses
Coalesce for Space Systems
Posted:
24 October 2023
by Thom Fain | 23 October,
2023
Experts are optimistic about the future of
cybersecurity as it relates to space, despite growing concern over the
modern threat environment.
It’s no secret that advancements in AI are growing in
parallel with the ambitions of foreign adversaries. Although not limited
to state actors, the most obvious threats to Western cyber
infrastructure are China and Russia – countries with antagonistic
tendencies who happen to be launching inspector satellites into space.
Any number of Cold War analogies can be made in 2023,
a year we saw the Pentagon ask for $3 billion for AI/ML capabilities
while Elon Musk’s Starlink has been integral in the war between Ukraine
and Russia. Regardless of the war’s eventual outcome, cyber
confrontation is likely to continue at scale. However, experts are
optimistic about the future of cybersecurity as it relates to space, in
spite of the growing concern over the modern threat environment.
10 takeClick
HERE
for
further details from
Via Satellite
SES
Wins Space Force Contract, Launches New Media
Posted: 21
October 2023
by Mark Holmes -- October
20, 2023
SES Space & Defense was awarded a a five-year,
Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) U.S. Space Force contract
for proliferated Low Earth Orbit (pLEO) satellite-based services (SBS)
through the Defense Information Systems Agency’s (DISA) Defense
Information Technology Contracting Organization (DITCO). SES announced
the deal, Oct. 20.
“The pLEO IDIQ is the first multiple award contract to
deliver pLEO COMSATCOM services to the government and military. The
contract structure is part of the U.S. Space Force’s new approach to
acquiring SATCOM. These awards are foundational for COMSATCOM
integration and proliferation into new waveforms and orbits enabling
connectivity and communication at the tactical edge,” David Fields, SES
Space & Defense President and CEO, said in a statement.
.Click
HERE
for
further details from
Advanced Television
SES Appoints
Adel Saleh as CEO
Posted: 14
October 2023
Luxembourg, 13 October 2023 – SES, a leading provider
of global content connectivity solutions, today announced that Adel Al-Saleh
has been hired as the company’s Chief Executive Officer, effective
February 2024.
Since January 2018, Al-Saleh has been CEO at T-Systems
International GmbH, the integrated IT services provider and subsidiary
of telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom AG (DT), and he has
served as a member of the Board of Management at DT throughout this
period. In his time at T-Systems, Al-Saleh led the transition from a
classic information technology and outsourcing business to an integrated
IT services and digital solutions provider while driving growth
initiatives to optimise operations, improve efficiency, increase
customer satisfaction, expand employee engagement and maximise
profitability.
Inflation is already running past next year's Social Security COLA
Posted:
13 October 2023
by Brett Arends
| 12 October, 2023
The latest inflation figures from the United States
government are worrying news for senior citizens -- and I'm not even
talking about 80-year-old Joe Biden, although they threaten his
re-election campaign as well.
Social Security beneficiaries are going to have to
make do with a mere 3.2% cost-of-living-adjustment to their monthly
checks starting January, the program's administrators said Thursday.
SpaceX Aims to Offer Starlink
Direct-to-Cell Text Service in 2024 IoT By 2025
Posted:
12 October 2023
by Rachel Jewett | 11 October,
2023
SpaceX is targeting direct-to-cell service that
enables text messaging with the Starlink constellation in 2024, and
voice and data and IoT service by 2025. SpaceX updated Starlink’s
website with a new page focusing on direct-to-cell service.
SpaceX Chief Engineer Elon Musk previously gave the
target that Starlink would enter beta service for direct-to-cell with
T-Mobile in late 2023. Starlink announced the deal with T-Mobile last
year, pitching the service as a way to close gaps in cellular networks
in rural and remote areas and allow T-Mobile customers to send messages
via Starlink satellites.
Starlink has signed a number of other global cellular
providers as partners — Rogers in Canada, Optus in Australia, One NZ in
New Zealand, KDDI in Japan, and Salt in Switzerland.
Matt Frumin: A
Unique Moment for an Extraordinary Opportunity
Posted:
11 October
2023
By Matt Frumin | October 10, 2023
The former Intelsat headquarters, located at 4000
Connecticut Ave. NW, just one block from a Metrorail stop, offers a rare
opportunity for the District to acquire a massive property that can
serve all Washingtonians.
The 660,000-square-foot building, which most recently
housed the international independent Whittle School, is currently on the
market. It is sited on a lot with up to 45,000 square feet of
developable land, not including the lovely park along Connecticut Avenue
that should be preserved.
Significant portions of the building are turn-key and
ready for myriad uses, especially educational programs for all ages. The
site is one of the few of its size ripe for development in our city, and
it would be a travesty not to seize upon this unique opportunity.
Eutelsat, OneWeb
complete merger
Posted:
28 September 2023
September 28, 2023 | By Chris Forrester
Eutelsat Communications has announced the completion
of its all-share combination with OneWeb, the global low Earth orbit
(LEO) satellite communications network, following the approval at the
Ordinary and Extraordinary General Meeting of Eutelsat shareholders in
Paris. The combination forms Eutelsat Group.
The company remains headquartered in Paris. OneWeb
will be a subsidiary operating commercially as Eutelsat OneWeb with its
centre of operations remaining in London. The Company remains listed on
the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange and has applied for standard listing
on the London Stock Exchange.
Click
HERE
for
further details from
Advanced Television
10 Takeaways from World Satellite Business Week 2023
Posted:
28 September 2023
by Rachel Jewett | 26 September, 2023
The Westin Vendôme in Paris was packed in
mid-September with a completely sold out World Satellite Business Week (WSBW).
As the industry is expanding, the show is growing and buzzing with
energy. While there wasn’t any show-stopping news during the week, WSBW
was a good opportunity to gauge the pulse on the industry more than
halfway through the year. Via Satellite shares its 10 takeaways from the
conference.
Starlink Dominates the Connectivity Conversation All
of the satellite operators, whether traditional Geostationary Orbit
(GEO) or new constellations are trying to position their businesses to
stack up against Starlink, which just passed 2 million subscribers.
Discussion of SpaceX’s broadband constellation dominated panels on
everything from connectivity, regional operators, and ground technology.
Everyone is pursuing a differentiation strategy, whether it’s a focus on
a particular market, technology, or specific business model. While a few
years ago major operators were taking shots at the feasibility of such a
constellation, now they are openly admiring how Starlink disrupted the
market and insisting there’s plenty of demand to go around.
The Future of Smart
Phones with Satellite Direct-to-Handset
Posted:
27 September 2023
by Ivan Suarez | 26 September, 2023
There is a sense of safety that comes with being
connected, a contemporary feeling that surpasses cultures and
identities. Losing access to data, voice or messaging services deters
users around the world from exploring unique places and fulfilling their
dreams as that important sense of security vanishes. Satellite
connectivity has for decades allowed privileged users to remain
connected – and safer – thanks to orbital systems that made their world
smaller with specialist devices operating under mobile satellite
services (MSS).
In 2022, the telecommunications sector made history by
bridging the previously thought impossible link between cell phones and
satellite networks, what we refer to as “direct-to-handset” (DTH)
connectivity. It took the alignment of a mature non-Geostationary (NGSO)
system, advanced nanotechnology, as well as active cooperation between a
smartphone manufacturer and a satellite operator to make DTH a reality,
because the network and commercial hurdles were too complex to solve
without economic incentives.
How Two SATCOM
companies are responding to Starlink's dominance
Posted:
15 September 2023
By Courtney Albon | September 15, 2023
LONDON — With SpaceX’s Starlink constellation
dominating the space-based communications market, longstanding satellite
operators are positioning themselves to compete with the
billionaire-owned company — particularly when it comes to military and
government services.
SpaceX, with its 5,000-satellite Starlink fleet, has a
hedge on the satellite communication market, but executives at
U.K.-based OneWeb and Luxembourg-based Intelsat told C4ISRNET this week
during the DSEI conference here they see opportunities to join the
behemoth in meeting increasing connectivity demands.
SES vs Intelsat
C-band payments: Court dates set
Posted:
15 September 2023
September 14, 2023
The long-running legal action from SES arguing for a
greater share of the FCC’s C-band compensation payments, and which
demands Intelsat honour its 50/50 agreement with SES, has now set some
key dates for the action.
SES has already received a positive Appeal verdict
from the US District Court and now the lower Bankruptcy Court must
accommodate that verdict.
Click
HEREfor
further details from Advanced Television
LEO Operators Pitch
the Orbit's Value for IFC at Connected Aviation Event
Posted:
14 September 2023
by David Hodes
| September 13, 2023
DENVER, COLORADO — Satellite operators building
constellations in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) are targeting in-flight
connectivity as a critical market for their businesses. Executives made
bold projections for how airlines will adopt LEO at the Connected
Aviation Intelligence Summit, in Denver, Colorado, on Sept. 7.
Jason Sperry, head of Business Aviation for OneWeb,
projects that the aviation and airline community will “absolutely”
achieve a majority of traffic over LEO by 2030, estimating 50% or more.
Ronald van der Breggen, chief commercial officer at
Rivada Space Networks, agreed on LEO’s significance, but put the traffic
figure at more than 70%. “It’s all about the user,” he said. “It’s not
about what the airlines want, or the capabilities of the satellite
companies. It’s about the end user.”
Click
HEREfor
further details from Avionics International
SES
Teams Up with Starlink to Package Connectivity for the Cruise Segment
Posted:
14 September 2023
by Mark Holmes,
Rachel Jewett
| September 13, 2023
SES is bringing a new multi-orbit hybrid connectivity
solution to the cruise industry, integrating SpaceX‘s Starlink
connectivity into its offering for cruise companies. The joint offering
announced Wednesday is SES Cruise mPOWERED + Starlink. The solution will
be available in the fourth quarter of this year.
The product will be integrated, sold, and delivered by
SES. The operator pitched it as combining the best of Medium-Earth Orbit
(MEO) and Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) for high-speed and secure cruise
connectivity. The solution is available in either a Premium tier at
3Gbps per ship, or the Pro tier at 1.5 Gbp per ship.
Intelsat, Aalyria Sign Deal to Advance Multi-Orbit Connectivity
Posted:
13 September 2023
September 12, 2023
MCLEAN, Va. – Intelsat, operator of one of the world’s
largest integrated satellite and terrestrial networks and leading
provider of inflight connectivity (IFC), today signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Livermore, California-based Aalyria, the
advanced software-defined and optical networking communications pioneer,
that includes financial commitments to advance the development of a new
optical technology that will transfer record amounts of data between
ground and space.
“Aalyria’s groundbreaking technologies give us the
opportunity to pursue highly-secure connectivity at unprecedented
speeds, opening up new frontiers in satellite communications,” said
Bruno Fromont, Intelsat Chief Technology Officer. “The Intelsat-Aalyria
collaboration will enable enhanced mobile broadband connections and
represents another step forward towards our Next Generation Unifying
Network vision enabled by software-defined networking, 5G and
multi-orbit operations.”
Intelsat
wins Air Canada IFC
Posted: 8
September 2023
Long-te
rm
relationship between satellite connectivity provider and Canada’s
leading airline expands to include 100 additional aircraft equipped for
Wi-Fi with craft using new antenna
by Joe
O'Halloran | Published 7 September 2023 16:15
The reach of satellite-based data
services is rapidly expanding to more places on Earth and in the sky as
airline passengers come to expect in-flight connectivity as a standard.
Addressing the needs of its passengers,
Air Canada has turned to Intelsat – one of the world’s leading providers
of in-flight connectivity (IFC) – to provide connectivity systems for
nearly 100 additional aircraft across its fleet, including Intelsat’s
multi-orbit electronically steered array (ESA) antenna.
Air Canada is Canada’s largest airline,
the country’s flag carrier and a founding member of Star Alliance,
claimed to be the world’s most comprehensive air transportation network.
Air Canada provides scheduled service directly to more than 180 airports
in Canada, the US and internationally on six continents.
To further enhance customer experience
through the use of technology, it has partnered with Bell to offer free
messaging for all members of its Aeroplan customer loyalty scheme
worldwide on all Wi-Fi equipped aircraft across Air Canada’s fleet.
Click
HERE
for
further details from Computer Weekly
Intelsat and SES Complete C-Band
Spectrum Clearing
Posted:
15 August
2023
by Rachel Jewett | August 14, 2023
Both Intelsat and SES report they have completed
activities to clear C-band spectrum, paving the way for the two
companies to receive billions of dollars in payments.
This closes out the operators’ work to clear a portion
of the C-band after the FCC reallocated the C-band for wireless use in
2020. Overall, satellite operators received relocation costs and a total
of $9.7 billion to clear the spectrum, while the auction grossed $80.9
billion, setting a record as the highest-grossing FCC auction.
SES confirmed on Aug. 10 that the FCC certified its
C-band clearing including launching five new satellites and repacking
all of its C-band downlink services in the continental United States in
a certain portion of the band.
SES is now eligible to receive its second chunk of
accelerated relocation payment, totaling $2.99 billion, before tax
estimated at about 18% to 19%. SES expects this payment to be made in
the fourth quarter of this year.
Intelsat
Galaxy 37/Horizons-4 Satellite Successfully Launched
Posted:
4 August 2023
MCLEAN, Va. – Intelsat, operator of one of the
world’s largest integrated satellite and terrestrial network and leading
provider of inflight connectivity, announced the successful launch of
Galaxy 37/Horizons-4 (G-37/H-4), setting a new record for the commercial
satellite industry by sending eight geostationary satellites into space
within 10 months.
“This launch completes our comprehensive Galaxy fleet
refresh plan started about 10 months ago,” said Dave Wajsgras, CEO at
Intelsat. “This milestone is now a part of the 40-year Galaxy legacy –
satellites our North American customers have relied on for decades. It
also marks the 20-year anniversary of our JSAT partnership. This joint
venture has allowed both companies to serve more customers in more
places throughout the world.”
District Court
"Sides With SES Over Intelsat in C-Band Claims
Posted:
27 June 2023
By Rachel Jewett | June 26, 2023
A judge has sided with SES in an ongoing dispute over
$421 million of Intelsat’s C-band proceeds, ruling that the previous
bankruptcy court erred in siding with Intelsat. The June 22 opinion was
released just after Intelsat pulled out of potential merger talks with
SES.
Senior U.S. District Judge Robert Payne’s opinion says
the bankruptcy court’s decision will be reversed, and sent the case back
to bankruptcy court. The case was in the U.S. District Court for the
Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond division, case No. 3:22-cv-668.
“The judgment of the bankruptcy court will be reversed and this matter
will be remanded to the bankruptcy court for further proceedings
consistent with this opinion,” Judge Payne said in the opinion, accessed
via Pacer.
Intelsat and SES
$10bn merger talks scrapped
Posted:
23 June 2023
by Jack Haddon June
22, 2023 03:41 PM
Satellite companies proposed deal will not be taking
place after three months of official talks Consolidation in the
satellite industry is expected to significantly increase in the coming
years, as legacy operators struggle to meet the scale of the disruptive
forces of SpaceX and Amazon.
One such merger that was touted between
Luxembourg-based SES and US firm Intelsat, however, will not be taking
place.
Rumours had been swirling that the two companies would
be merging for a while, with the two companies confirming talks had
begun in March.
Sources from SES told Bloomberg on Wednesday that
Intelsat had walked away from the deal and a short statement was posted
to SES’s website today.
“SES announces today that discussions regarding a
possible combination with Intelsat have ceased. On 29 March 2023, SES
had confirmed that the company engaged in discussions with Intelsat and
that there could be no certainty that a transaction would materialise,”
it read.
.ClickHERE
for
further details from
Capacity
Media
SES CEO Steve
Collar announces sudden resignation
Posted:
13 June
2023
by Jason --June
12, 2023
TAMPA, Fla. — Steve Collar announced plans June 12 to
step down as SES CEO at the end of the month after more than 20 years
with the multi-orbit satellite operator.
SES chief technology officer Ruy Pinto, a former chief
operating officer at Inmarsat who joined SES in 2017, is taking the
company’s reins until it can find a permanent successor.
Luxembourg-based SES said in a news release that
Collar is leaving to pursue other professional and personal endeavors —
without elaborating.
Despite his sudden departure, SES vice president of
external communications Suzanne Ong said Collar plans to remain fully
available to the company beyond June 30 to support a smooth transition.
Intelsat:
'Insider trading' appeal lodged
Posted: 31
May 2023
May 30,
2023
T
he Intelsat Class Action
into alleged insider trading, which had earlier been dismissed by a
District Court judge on April 26th, has seen an appeal lodged.
The case revolves around alleged insider trading over
the sale of Intelsat shares by certain shareholders including the then
chairman Dave McGlade. The sale allegedly took place ahead of the FCC
deciding to itself auction off C-band frequencies. Prior to the FCC
decision it had been expected that members of the Alliance (notably
Intelsat and SES) would themselves sell off their frequencies.
The new appeal argues against the dismissal of the
case made by Judge Jeffrey White. The appeal is lodged with the US Court
of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. The confidential witnesses in the case,
who gave evidence in favour of the Plaintiffs, did not add enough
relevant detail to support the Class Action, said Judge White in his
ruling.
ClickHEREfor
further details from
Advanced Television
Welcome New
Member
Posted:22
May 2023
We are pleased to Welcome the following new member
to the Intelsat
Retirees and Alumni Association:
March
2023
Andrew Lee
Connecting the Dots | SES-Intelsat merger
would face uphill regulatory struggle
Posted: 27 April
2023
by Jason --April
25, 2023
Plenty of
operational synergies await SES and Intelsat if the world’s largest
fixed satellite service (FSS) providers can craft a merger able to clear
regulatory scrutiny.
Following years of industry speculation, SES confirmed
it was in early talks about combining with Intelsat on March 29, shortly
after Bloomberg reported a deal could be just weeks away.
A merger would bring together more than 70 satellites
SES has across geostationary and medium Earth orbit with Intelsat’s more
than 50 geostationary satellites, forming a company exceeding $4 billion
in annual revenues.
Pooling resources would help them rationalize their
fleets as capacity prices come under pressure from a flood of satellites
coming to orbit.
High throughput satellites supplied around 2.7
terabits per second (Tbps) of capacity across geostationary and
non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) in 2021, according to Northern Sky
Research. This jumped to nearly 21 Tbps in 2022 and is on track to more
than double to around 43 terabits next year.
Intelsat
'Class Action' judge ready to decide
Posted: 21
April 2023
April 20, 2023
| Advanced Television
Intelsat’s long-running Class Action lawsuit against
key shareholders alleging insider trading will be decided by a judge on
the basis of documents and motions already filed to the court.
The judge in the case has cancelled a planned full
court hearing (which called for a jury trial) and dismissed some of the
motions in the case. The hearing was due on April 28th.
.Click
HERE
for
further details from
Advanced Television
Intelsat orders another space tug rescue
Posted:
14 April 2023
April 14, 2023 | By Chris Forrester
Intelsat has ordered a Mission Extension Pod (MEP)
from Northrop Grumman’s SpaceLogistics, which will add life to an
Intelsat satellite and provide uninterrupted services to many customers.
The MEP jet pack often referred to as a ‘space tug’
will be installed by SpaceLogistics’ mission robotic vehicle (MRV) on an
Intelsat satellite operating in geosynchronous orbit, ensuring
continuity of satellite service for at least six years beginning in
2026. Intelsat has not identified which satellite will be serviced. Both
MEP and MRV have completed critical design reviews, are in assembly and
testing, and are proceeding toward launch.
Click
HERE
for
further details from
Advanced Television
SpaceX launches Intelsat's IS-40e high
throughput satellite
Posted: 8
April 2023
by Jason -- 7
April, 2023
TAMPA, Fla. — SpaceX successfully launched Intelsat’s
IS-40e communications satellite April 7, which will help the operator
meet growing demand for connectivity on planes while also carrying its
first hosted payload for NASA.
The satellite deployed solar arrays and is receiving
and sending signals in geosynchronous transfer orbit following its 12:30
a.m. Eastern launch, its manufacturer Maxar Technologies confirmed.
The first stage booster of the Falcon 9 rocket that
lifted IS-40e off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, also
successfully landed on a drone ship for later reuse.
It will take three weeks for the satellite to use
onboard chemical propulsion to reach its final orbital slot at 91
degrees West over North America, Jean-Luc Froeliger, Intelsat’s senior
vice president of space systems, told SpaceNews in an interview.
Intelsat
[Class] Action: "Core deficiencies remain"
Posted: 4
April 2023
April 3, 2023
| Advanced Television
The
long-running Class Action against alleged Intelsat inside traders has
seen a rebuttal submitted by the Defendants. They argue that the
Plaintiffs have failed to make their case and has not made any plausible
facts demonstrating that Intelsat obtained any material non-public
information prior to the Defendants [sale of shares]. The rebuttal calls
for the court to dismiss the Action.
The events
that lead up to the claim state that on the morning of November 5th
2019, a meeting took place with Intelsat’s CEO Steve Spengler at the FCC
to discuss Intelsat’s (and SES) C-band proposal for a private auction of
some of the satellite company’s C-band assets over the US.
Click
HERE
for
further details from
Advanced Television
Market reacts to
SES, Intelsat rumours
Posted:
1 April
2023
by Chris Forrester - March 31,
2023
The potential link between the world’s two largest
satellite operators, SES and Intelsat, is intriguing the market. The
news – at this stage more rumour than hard fact – follows on from a slew
of similar mergers/acquisitions in the sector including Viasat’s
upcoming purchase of Inmarsat, Eutelsat’s merger with OneWeb, and plenty
of smaller satellite-based deals over the recent years.
The hard facts are that any agreement between the two
rivals would position them in a better place to compete with new
entrants such as Starlink and the proposed Jeff Bezos-backed Project
Kuiper.
Bloomberg, in its report on the rumours, states that
SES and Intelsat are in “advanced negotiations” and aiming to reach an
agreement in the next few weeks. A satisfactory conclusion could value
the combined business at more than $10 billion including some debt.
Click
HERE
for
further details from
Advanced Television
Intelsat and SES
are on a $10B collision course
Posted:
30
March 2023
IAIN MORRIS, March 30, 2023
An extra-terrestrial landing on planet Earth and hearing all the Musk
and Bezos babble about satellites could be forgiven for thinking they
were a new discovery for Earthlings. Yet Intelsat and SES have a
combined age of 96 and had equipment floating around in space long
before most people had phones in their pockets. Under attack from a
swarm of new satellites, including the constellations of the Tesla and
Amazon billionaires, these antiquities of the industry are now joining
forces in a deal valued at US$10 billion, according to a Bloomberg
story.
Intelsat buys
capacity on Hispasat's Anmazonas Nexus satellite
Posted:
18
March 2023
by Jason -- March
17, 2023
TAMPA, Fla. — Intelsat has acquired a “significant
amount” of capacity from the recently launched Amazonas Nexus satellite
to meet demand for connectivity over the Americas, an executive for the
company told SpaceNews.
Gerry Collins, Intelsat’s director of product
management and networks, said the company is leasing the satellite’s
high-throughput Ku-band capacity from Spanish operator Hispasat for
customers across the United States, Brazil, and North Atlantic Ocean.
“We don’t discuss specific terms of our contracts, but
we are calling the satellite Intelsat 46 (IS-46), which means we are
making a long-term commitment [for] our customers,” he said.
SES vs Intelsat:
Appeal hearing March 20
Posted: 17
March 2023
by Chris Forrester -- March
16, 2023
The extremely
long-running C-band legal action between the world’s two largest
satellite operators, SES and Intelsat, is due in court next Monday,
March 20th.
SES is arguing
that it is entitled to a 50 per cent share of the FCC’s compensation
payments for the pair’s certain satellite C-band frequencies which the
FCC subsequently auctioned off to telcos for 5G usage. Specifically, SES
is arguing for a greater slice of the FCC’s Accelerated Relocation
Payment.
ClickHERE
for
further details from
Advanced Television
Intelsat to
Operate Air Pollution Monitoring Space Instrument
Posted:
15 March 2023
NASA and
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory are innovating to improve air
quality in North America
MCLEAN, Va --(BUSINESSWIRE) -- Intelsat, operator of one of the world’s
largest integrated satellite and terrestrial networks and leading
provider of inflight connectivity (IFC), completed testing of the
operational and data collection system for the first space-based
instrument to monitor major air pollutants across the North American
continent every daylight hour at high resolution. The new UV-visible
spectrometer, operated by Intelsat for NASA and the Smithsonian
Astrophysical Observatory, will be hosted on the Intelsat 40e (IS-40e)
satellite set for launch next month..
Known as TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution), the
mission of the instrument is to create a revolutionary new dataset of
atmospheric chemistry measurements from space. TEMPO data will play an
important role in scientific studies of phenomena such as rush-hour
pollution and the movement of emissions from forest fires and volcanoes.
Scientists could eventually apply TEMPO observations to air quality
alerts for people in pollution hot spots and those living with health
issues.
Eutelsat and
Intelsat Sign Multi-Orbit Contract Enhancing Connectivity with OneWeb
Services
Posted:
10 March 2023
9 March 2023
Eutelsat
Communications (Euronext: ETL) has signed a multi-orbit agreement with
Intelsat to enhance connectivity solutions over Europe, the Middle East,
and the Pacific, including OneWeb services.
Under this new
seven-year multi-million-euro capacity agreement with a progressive
roll-out of assets over 2023, leveraging Eutelsat’s High-throughput
satellites (HTS) in the Ku-band including the recently launched EUTELSAT
10B satellite and OneWeb’s constellation, Intelsat will be able to offer
connectivity solutions for air, land and sea.
This deal cements
a proposed deal previously announced on the EUTELSAT 10B satellite in
October 2019 between Eutelsat and Gogo Commercial Aviation, acquired by
Intelsat in 2020. The new capacity agreement adds OneWeb’s LEO
(low-Earth orbit) solution to a larger portion of Eutelsat’s HTS GEO
(geostationary orbit) assets (EUTELSAT 172B, the coming EUTELSAT 10B,
and the future Flexsat), creating a unique hybrid offer that provides
Intelsat with enhanced connectivity capacities.
“Any
reasonable person – and juror – would believe that there was insider
trading” states a motion from lawyers for the Class Action against some
Intelsat shareholders and the company chairman, Dave McGlade, provided
their detailed claim for the Northern District of California Court.
Their action is due to be heard on April 28th.
The Action argues that the defendants in the case sold
shares worth $246 million and thus avoid $185 million in losses but
“innocent investors were left [with nothing]”. The Action states each of
the named defendants “owed a fiduciary duty to Intelsat shareholders.”
Intelsat to keep headcount on par with growth
Posted:
1 March 2023
by
Simnikiwe Mzekandaba
-
Johannesburg, 13 Feb 2023
Multinational satellite services provider Intelsat is bullish about its
future growth prospects and the staff complement needed to support this
growth.
This is despite macro-economic conditions that have forced a number of
global tech companies to scale down their employee headcount in recent
weeks.
In an interview with ITWeb, Rhys Morgan, regional vice-president, EMEA
media and networks sales at Intelsat, says the company is pretty lean in
terms of personnel.
According to Morgan, Intelsat recently increased its number of
employees, following the acquisition of a commercial aviation business
that brought a “good number” of people into the fold.
“We’ve invested in terms of more people, and supporting key areas,” he
states. “We’re still a small company in terms of overall headcount. Our
view of business is that we see growth and where see growth, we need
people to support that growth.”
The electronically steered array (ESA) antenna is the
only commercially available product in the aviation industry capable of
operations with LEO and GEO satellites
MCLEAN, Va. – Intelsat, operator of one of the world’s
largest integrated satellite and terrestrial networks and leading
provider of inflight connectivity (IFC), today announced the successful
completion of inflight testing of its new electronically steered array (ESA)
antenna. This antenna enables global streaming-fast Wi-Fi service and is
available to airlines around the world.
Intelsat’s ESA is the only commercially available
antenna in the aviation industry that can operate between low Earth
orbit satellites and geostationary satellites. Announced in June 2022,
the new antenna has been accumulating flight hours with Ball, Stellar
Blu Solutions, Intelsat and OneWeb engineers validating antenna and
network performance.
We are pleased to Welcome the following new member
to the Intelsat
Retirees and Alumni Association:
February
2023
Wolfgang Wagner
SES, Intelsat,
Babcock win UK Skynet contract
Posted: 17 February 2023
by Chris Forrester -- February
16, 2023
A consortium of businesses have secured the UK’s
satellite Skynet military satellite communications system. SES and
Intelsat have linked with Babcock Integrated Technology to win the
management transition contract which covers the next 6 years of usage.
The contract is valued at £400 million (€450.4m) and
will lead to around 400+ new jobs in the UK.
Click
HERE
for
further details from
Advanced Television
SES, Intelsat
expenses action suspended
Posted:
7 February 2023
By Chris Forrester - 6 February
2023
SES has had a legal action
running against Intelsat which asks for Intelsat to pay what SES alleged
was Intelsat's 50 per cent of the costs of running the C-Band Alliance.
The action is paused while the larger legal action against Intelsat and
where SES is suing for a 50/50 division of the FCC's Accelerated
Relocation Payments. That action will be head in the next few weeks.
The C-band Alliance was formed
to plan an auction of SES and Intelsat's C-band frequencies. However,
the FCC came in with its own auction of the spectrum.
SES vs Intelsat
back in court
Posted: 1
February 2023
by Chris Forrester -- January
31, 2023
The long-running
legal action between SES and Intelsat is back in court on January 31st.
The hearing is focused on the SES claim that Intelsat pay what SES says
is its share of the costs associated with the C- band Alliance (CBA).
The CBA failed in
its plan to create a private auction of C-band satellite frequencies for
associated use for terrestrial 5G use. Instead the FCC handled the
auction of the satellite frequencies.
Click
HERE
for
further details from
Advanced Television
Intelsat Class
Action gathers pace
Posted: 27
January 2023
by Chris Forrester -- January
26, 2023
The long-running Class Action inside
trading allegations brought by some investors in Intelsat is coming to a
head. The action centres on allegations that Dave McGlade, then
chairman of Intelsat, in 20189, together with some major Intelsat stock
holders, sold significant portions of their holdings following a
specifric meeting between Intelsat and key officials the FCC where news
emerged that the Intelsat and SES C-band prviate auction scheme would
not be permitted by the FCC.
Back on Nov ember 4th 2022, the judge
hearing the Class Action dismissed the Plaintiffs' (Wlleye Opportunities
Master Fund, on behalf of its Class Action associates) move but allowed
them to resubmit their claim with extra detais.
Click
HERE
for
further details from
Advanced Television
Intelsat left
SES "on the hook" for C-band costs
Posted:
21 January 2023
January 20, 2023
SES has filed its response to
Intelsat's bankruptcy court, arguing that when the two parties signed
the 2018 [C-band] Consottium Agreement SES and Intelsat not only agreed
to share equally in any proceeds resulting from clearing the C-Band, but
they also agreed to share equally in expenses incurred in connection
with their efforts -- whether or not the parties realised any proceeds
from the C-Band clearing.
SES's response says that when
Intelsat repudiated the Consortium Agreement, Intelsat did not comply
with its expense reimbursement obligations, leaving SES on the hook for
tens of millions of dollars in expenses incurred on behalf of the C-Band
Alliance. The claim is for $11.6 million.
Intelsat is
making a concerted commitment to enhancing day-to-day network quality
and helping African communications service providers (CSPs) deliver
secure and affordable connectivity across the continent.
“Satellite
communications providers (CSPs) have historically rushed to the rescue
in the aftermath of a natural or manmade calamity that rendered a local
terrestrial network unavailable. Today, Intelsat is making a concerted
commitment to enhancing day-to-day network quality and helping African
CSPs deliver secure and affordable connectivity across the continent,”
said Intelsat’s Director of Sales, Africa Hans Geldenhuys in a blog
post.
Intelsat has won a contract to supply Japan Airlines
with its satellite broadband ‘direct-to-seat’ connectivity to J-Air’s
Embraer E-190 aircraft.
Japan Airlines has installed Intelsat’s 2Ku system on
the first of J-Air’s E190 aircraft and will be installing 13 additional
aircraft by autumn 2024. The airline has been offering free wireless
entertainment services since 2016. By adding 2Ku, this will make J-AIR
the first regional aircraft in Japan to offer inflight entertainment and
connectivity (IFEC) services, as well as the first E190 aircraft
equipped globally with the Intelsat 2Ku system.
A slew of legal documents were submitted to
Intelsat’s Chapter 11 post-bankruptcy reorganisation on December
28th by lawyers for Intelsat.
In essence, the filings represent the Final Report
on Intelsat’s post-bankruptcy proceedings and an application to
close certain outstanding matters.
One particular argument is over $12 million of
expense and cost claims (“Bill of Costs”) made by SES in relation to
its litigation – which is still running – over the 50/50 division of
the FCC’s C-band incentive payments.
This batch of documents – the core filing runs to
159 pages – are all part of the wrapping up of Intelsat’s
post-bankruptcy actions following on from Intelsat’s exiting of
bankruptcy back in February 2022.
The US Bankruptcy Court at Richmond, Virginia,
issued a formal notification of these final hearings back in October
2022. The motion to disallow the SES claim is set to be heard on
January 31st.
Lawyers for Intelsat are arguing that “SES cannot
succeed on these Expense Claims under any theory [and that] SES in
fact owes Intelsat multiple millions of dollars.”
Any objections to the application must be filed by
January 24th.
Click
HERE
for
further details from
Advanced Television
Powerful Ariane 5 rocket launches 3
satellites to orbit
Posted: 16 December 2022
A powerful European rocket sent three satellites to Earth
orbit on Tuesday (Dec. 13).
An Ariane rocket lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in
French Guiana on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. EST *2030 GMT or 5:30 p.m. local
time)
The rocket's star payload was Emetsat's Meteosat Third
Generation (MTG) Imager-1, which will allow for "rapid detection and
forecasting of severe weather events," according to a statement by
Arianespace, the French company that operates the Ariane 5.
The newest generation of these satellites includes two
new instruments, an imager and lightning imager, for higher-quality data
to improve weather forecasting, according to a European Space Agency (ESA)
statement.
The Ariane 5 also boosted the Galaxy 35 and Galaxy35
geosynchronous communications satellites to orbit on behalf of Intelsat,
to replace the company's aging Galaxy 3C and Galaxy 28 satellites,
respectively. (Intelsat has been refreshing its satellite fleet since
2020, and these satellites are the fifth and sixth of the refresh
series.)
A US bipartisan House Energy & Commerce Committee hyas introduced
potential legislation to update the FCC's current satellite licensing
rules. One aspect will be the prohibition of Chinese businesses,
although it is not yet completely clear whether the legislation will
cover satellites where ownership - as distinct to components - includes
Chinese companies. This could affect Eutelsat and its merger with
OneWeb, for example. Eutelsat has a Chinese shareholder.
The legislation also covers Russia, although again further clarity will
be need on operators which are correctly licensed by the ITU and how
that would impact their US services.
Judge Jeffrey White has set some
key dates in the Intelsat 'inside trading' class action allegatgions.
The judge has set the case to be "answered, or a Motion to Dismiss" on
January 19th 2023. Any Opposition filing must be made by March 2nd
with a subsequent response from the Petitiners set with a deadline of
March 30th.
The next Motion to Dismiss
hearing is set for April 28th in Judge White's courtroom.
The complaint was originally
mounted earlier this year but the judge dismissed the Federal Class
Action but permitted the Plaintiffs to re-plead their case with more
detail. The claim has been resubmitted in the US District Court in
the Northern District of California. The Plaintiffs are asking for
a jury trial.
Two major shareholders in the
pre-bankruptcy Intelsat, plus the former chairman, are named again by
Plaintiffs in a Class Action which alleges they took part in selling off
investments in Intelsat help by inside knowledge.
The complaint was originally mounted
earlier in 2022, but the judge in the case dismissed the Federal Class
Action, nevertheless permitting to re-plead their case with more detail.
The claim has been resubmitted to the US District Court in the Northern
District of California. The Plaintiffs are asking for a jury trial.
Click
HERE
for
further details from
Advanced Television
Clearspace announces life extension collaboration with Intelsat
Posted 15 November 2022
The European Space Agency signed an 86 million euro contract with
ClearSpace to de-orbit part of a Vega rocket. Credit: ClearSpace
TAMPA, Fla.
— ClearSpace, the Swiss orbital debris removal startup, said Nov. 14
it is planning a mission to extend the life of an Intelsat satellite
before it runs out of fuel around 2026-2028.
The
four-year-old company’s announcement gave no further details about
its “collaboration” with Intelsat, which marks an expansion for
ClearSpace out of plans to clean up debris in low Earth orbit (LEO)
to servicing geostationary spacecraft.
Intelsat
declined to comment on the specifics of its collaboration with
ClearSpace.
“With this
in-orbit servicing collaboration, besides the economic benefits of
the services, Intelsat is supporting ClearSpace´s work towards an
accessible, resilient and sustainable space economy,” Intelsat chief
technology officer Bruno Fromont said.
ClearSpace
aims to build on core capabilities it is already developing for the
European Space Agency’s ClearSpace-1 program in 2025, the venture’s
first mission, when it aims to use a spacecraft with four
articulated arms to de-orbit part of a Vega rocket.
Separately
in September, the UK Space Agency shortlisted groups led by
ClearSpace and Japan-based in-orbit servicing venture Astroscale for
a mission to remove
two spacecraft from LEO in 2026.
Intelsat is
currently the only satellite operator that has employed commercial
life extension services.
TAMPA, Fla. — SpaceX successfully launched a second pair of C-band
replacement satellites for Intelsat over the weekend on the final flight
of a frequently used Falcon 9 booster.
A Falcon 9 carrying Galaxy 31 and Galaxy 32 lifted off Nov. 12 from Cape
Canaveral, Florida, at 11:06 a.m. Eastern after a four-day delay caused
by Hurricane Nicole.
In what has become a rare occurrence, SpaceX did not attempt to recover
the Falcon 9’s booster for reuse following its 14th mission — which tied
a reuse record for the company.
Using an expendable version of Falcon 9 enabled SpaceX to pack more
propellant into the rocket for sending the Maxar Technologies-built
satellites to a supersynchronous transfer orbit, rather than an orbit
with an apogee below geostationary orbit (GEO).
Jean-Luc Foreliger, Intelsat’s senior vice president of space systems,
said the operator paid a premium for this mission because the satellites
needed an extra boost toward their final GEO destinations.
Intelsat orders
small GEO satellite from 3D
printing specialist
Posted:
8 November 2022
by Jason --November
7, 2022
TAMPA, Fla. — 3D printing specialist Swissto12 said Nov.
7 it has sold its first small satellite to Intelsat for a launch to
geostationary orbit (GEO) in 2025.
Intelsat 45 (IS-45) will be based on Swissto12’s
HummingSat satellite platform, which at about the size of a dishwasher
is one-tenth the size of conventional GEO satellites.
At just one cubic meter in volume, Swissto12 CEO Emile de
Rijk said HummingSats are “at least 3 times cheaper” than larger
telecoms commercial satellites in GEO.
HummingSats will also have the same coverage area as
traditional spacecraft in GEO, de Rijk said via email, although with
less capacity because of their reduced space for transponders and power.
Intelsat 45 will have 12 Ku-band transponders, about a
fourth as many as a classic mid-sized Intelsat satellite.
FCC
plans revamped Space Bureau
Posted:
4 November 2022
by Colin Mann --November
3, 2022
Federal Communications Commission
Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has unveiled a plan to reorganise the
agency better to support the needs of the growing satellite industry,
promote long-term technical capacity at the FCC, and navigate 21st
global communications policy.
Under this plan, Chairwoman Rosenworcel
will work to reorganise the FCC's International Bureau into a new Space
Bureau and a standalone Office of International Affairs. These
changes will help ensure that the FCC's resources are better aligned so
that the agency can continue to fulfill its statutory obligations and
keep pace with the rapidly changing realities of the satellite industry
and global communications policy.
Click
HERE
for
further details from
Advanced Television
SES outlines
Intelsat appeal
Posted:
1 November 2022
by Chris Forrester --October
31, 2022
Lawyers for SES submitted their bundle of
documnts to the Appeal Court on October 28th, following up on their
formal appeal lodged on October 14th with the US District Court for the
Eastern District of Virginia.
In its 'statement of issues' the SES team
will argue that Intelsat's bankruptcy count "erred in holding that the
plain language of the [SES and Intelsat] Consortium Agreement - [which]
mandated a 50/50 split of the [FCC's incentive payments] unambiguously
excluded billions of dollars in incentive payments that the FCC awarded
based on Intelsat's joint work with SES."
Click
HERE
for
further details from
Advanced Television
Inntelsat CEO David Wajsgras:
'Consolidation Makes Sense'
Posted:
25 October 2022
by Mark Holmes --October
24, 2022
At World Satellite Business Week (WSBW) in Paris
recently, there was a lot of chatter about a potential combination of
Intelsat and SES. Rumors swirled, but this has always been an industry
that loves consolidation rumors.
For Intelsat CEO David Wajsgras, who only became the
CEO of Intelsat in early April, there are a number of huge challenges
ahead. He became CEO of Intelsat at a pivotal point in its history. The
2020s are likely to be a decade where we see huge disruption in the
satellite industry, and the role of traditional industry giants such as
Intelsat is open to debate.
What does its future look like? What can or will it do
in Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO)? Does it need to be involved in a big
piece of consolidation? How does it stack-up against the
megaconstellations as well as the likes of a combined Inmarsat/Viasat or
Eutelsat/OneWeb? What a time to become the CEO of one of the biggest
operators and be responsible for steering it through this disruptive
decade.
Satellite
operators gear up for Asia's tidal wave of satellite capacity
Posted:
21 October 2022
by Jason Rainbow --October
20, 2022
Terry Bleakley, regional
vice president of Asia Pacific for Intelsat, discussed the industry's
supply and demand expectations Oct. 18 during APSCC 2022. Credit
APSCC Webcast
TAMPA, Fla. -- Satellite operators in
Asia are banking on soaring demand for connecting plane passengers and
other customers on the move to absorb an exponentially increasing supply
of capacity in the region.
More integration between satellite and
mobile network operators will also create new opportunities for putting
this anticipated glut of supply to work, executives said Oct. 18 during
the APSCC 2022 Satellite Conference and Exhibition in Seoul, South.
Korea.
Northern Sky Research expects global
capacity supply to soar from about 39 terabits per second (Tbps) today
to 172 Tbps by 2030.
More than 61 Tbps of this satellite
capacity is on track to cover Asia by 2030, according to Jose Rosario,
research director at Northern Sky Research.
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Jethro Shedrick
SES to appeal
Intelsat C-band sharing decision
Posted:
18 October 2022
by Jason Rainbow --October
17, 2022
Intelsat plans a
multi-layered strategy post-restructuring to tailor connectivity
services to diverse markets. Credit Intelsat
TAMPA, Fla. -- SES filed plans Oct. 14 to
appeal a court's decision last month that disallowed its bid to equally
split nearly $9 billino of anticipated C-band clearning proceeds with
Interlsat.
SES will ask the U.S. District Court for
the Eastern District of Virginia to review the decision, which the U.S.
Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia made Sept. 30
after more than two years of legal action.
The satellite operator brought a $1.8
billion claim to the bankrupcty court in July 2020, two months after
Intelsat filed for Chaptl get for clearing C-band spectrum for
terrestrial telcos.er 11, over a broken agreement to split proceeds they
would get for clearing C-band spectrum for terrestrial telcos.
SpaceX launched a pair of four-ton Intelsat
communications spacecraft from Cape Canaveral at twilight Saturday
evening, two days later than planned after back-to-back scrubs, on the
third flight of a Falcon 9 rocket this week.
The Falcon 9 rocket lit nine kerosene-fueled Merlin 1D
engines and thundered away from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at
7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT) Saturday. Thrust vector controls pivoted nine
main engines to steer the 229-foot-tall (70-meter) rocket due east from
pad 40, and the Falcon 9 raced through the speed of sound in less than a
minute.
Click
HERE
for
further details from
Spaceflight Now.
SES
loses Intelsat claim
Posted:
4 October 2022
October 3, 2022 | By Chris Forrester
A Virginia bankruptcy court has ruled
("disallowed") the action by SES against Intelsat for a 50 per cent
share of the FCC's C-band incentive payments. The Court has
allowed SES to appeal the decision it it so wishes.
SES says it is disappointed with the
ruling "it is reviewing with outside counsel its options to appeal,"
says a statement.
Click
HERE
for
further details from
Advanced Television
Intelsat Class
Action could continue
Posted:
30
September 2022
September 28, 2022
By Chris Forrester
On September 28th, we reported that a California judge cleared
Intelsat's pre-bankruptcy major shareholders of a Class Action insider
trading allegations. Our report was accurate, but Judge Jeffrey
White, from the US District Court for the Northern District of
California, left a potential sting in the tail of his ruling.
The judge said that while the Action failed to describe the level of
intention needed for an inside trading claim, the would-be Action
plaintiffs may re-plead their claims and allegations. The court
noted, among other things, that the confidential witnesses do not point
to any communications between CEO Steve Spengler and the Board on
November 5th. The court concluded that plaintiffs failed to
sufficiently allege that the defendants possessed material non-public
information and they they acted with scienter (intent or knowledge of
wrong doing).
A California court cleared
Intelsat's pre-bankruptcy major shareholders of insider trading
allegations on September 27th.
The action started in late 2019
with allegations over violations of the federal securities laws.
The lawsuit alleges that the named defendants violated the Exchange Act
by selling Intelsat shares while they were in possession of material
non-public information, including that Intelsat SA had met with the FCC
on November 5th 2019, to discuss the private sale of certain frequencies
controlled by Intelsat SA for future 5G use (the 'C-Band')
Viasat,
Inmarsat, get UK merger approval
Posted:
18 September 2022
September 16, 2022 | By Chris Forrester
Viasat and
Inmarsat have received the UK government’s approval for their proposed
merger.
The UK’s
Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
has announced that the transaction does not pose a risk to the UK’s
national security.
In March 2022,
the companies committed to economic undertakings with BEIS, which
underlined their pledge to strengthen and advance the UK’s National
Space Strategy. The economic undertakings include an expansion in the
number of highly skilled jobs in key areas and a 30 per cent increase in
overall research and development spending in the UK.
Click
HERE
for
further details from
Business Standard.
Intelsat
promises transformation
Posted: 15 September
2022
September 15, 2022 | By Chris Forresterr
Intelsat’s
new CEO David Wajsgras spoke to delegates at the
Euroconsult Paris World Satellite Business Week and said that Intelsat
was looking at transformation on multiple levels.
Intelsat is
now fully emerged from bankruptcy although also surrounded by rumours
that there could be a merger with arch-rival SES.
Wajsgras
joined Intelsat in April. He told delegates: “The way the industry looks
today with the core players may or may not look the same in the next
couple of years. We’re thinking
through at Intelsat what’s the best path forward for us and we’re
considering various types of opportunities that will help support our
growth path. I’m sure I’m not
the only one.”
Steven Serajeddini, a
partner in giant US law firm Kirkland & Ellis, which represented
Intelsat during its Chapter 11 restructuring, has explained to
LevFin Insights how, as debtors’ counsel, they overcame many of the
challenges faced by Intelsat during the process. He said that key to
the settlement was consensus although it took “two hard-fought
years” to get the result.
Admitting that it took “blood,
sweat and tears” to achieve agreement, full consensus only came
about at the 11th hour.
Serajeddini said: “Folks are going to remember [the bankruptcy] for
a long time. Part of it obviously is the size of the matter. It’s
one of the largest filings of the past couple of years, and in
addition to that, it had unique complexity in terms of how it
started, which was a company whose greatest source of value rested
in the hands of how the FCC would approach monetisation of its
C-Band [spectrum].”
Intelsat wins $150m
Alaskan contract
Posted:
15 September 2022
September 9, 2022 | By Chris Forrester
Alaskan
service provider GCI has signed a $150 million contract with Intelsat to
expand telecoms capacity in rural areas of the US state.
GCI is
already very experienced in providing satellite-based services. It has
delivered geosynchronous (GEO) satellite-based connectivity for 35 years
to provide data, video and voice services in the state. The new deal not
only provides GCI with continued access to C-band and Ku-band capacity,
which is already part of GCI’s satellite service portfolio, but it also
provides new access to statewide Ka-band capacity.
Intelsat
says it will supply a multi-satellite solution over a new and enhanced
managed earth station platform and a tri-band (C, Ku and Ka) network
that will cover the entire state of Alaska.
Click
HERE
for
further details from
Advanced Television
Welcome New
Members
Posted:28
August 2022
We are pleased to Welcome the following new members
to the Intelsat
Retirees and Alumni Association:
August
2022
Maria-Marta Andrade
Aissatou Bah
Junie Nathani
Devas Multimedia seizes $87,457 cash in
US in Antrix Corporation dispute
Posted:
18 August 2022
Devas Multimedia has seized USD 87,457.47 cash that
ISRO's commercial arm Antrix Corporation held in the US as it looked to
enforce a USD 1.2 billion compensation it had won over a cancelled
satellite deal, its lawyer said on Wednesday.
Devas Multimedia America Inc had sought seizure of USD
145,000 but the actual recovery was USD 87,457.47 (a little less than Rs
70 lakh). This came after it secured a favourable order from the Eastern
District Court of Virginia, Matthew D McGrill said.
Click
HERE
for
further details from
Business Standard.
Intelsat,
One-Web IFC Deal
Posted: 16 August
2022
August 12, 2022
By Chris Forrester
Intelsat and
OneWeb have signed a “global distribution” partnership, an initiative to
provide a global service for In Flight Communications and broadband to
aircraft.
Intelsat already has
considerable skin in the game because it bought in 2020 the commercial
aviation connectivity business from Gogo for what many have seen as
being a timely ‘bargain’ of $400 million (€388m). Gogo is still very
much active but now concentrates only on business aviation and private
jets.
Satellites maker
SES beats profit estimates, sees upside to market consolidation
Posted: 4 August
2022
The Financial Times reported on Thursday SES was in talks to merge with
its U.S. rival Intelsat SA, signaling consolidation in the rapidly
changing industry.
Reuters August 04, 2022, 13:24 IST
By Dina Kartit and Elena Vardon
Satellite company SES's CEO reiterated on Thursday he saw industry
consolidation as a good thing for the highly competitive market, but
would not comment on merger rumours after the group posted
stronger-than-expected half-year earnings.
Te Financial Times reported on Thursday SES was in talks to merge
with its U.S. rival Intelsat SA, signally consolidation in the
rapidly changing and competitive industry.
"We've talked on this call and on analyst calls about industry
consolidation and how that is...from my perspective at least, a good
thing for the industry, but we obviously don't comment on any market
rumours or speculation," Chief Executive Stevbe Collar told
reporters in an earnings call.
SES and Intelsat
are reportedly in talks about a possible combination, says the
Financial Times.
The two satellite
giants are in active discussions about the structure of any potential
deal, according to three people familiar with the matter, says the FT,
as a wave mergers and acquisitions sweeps aceross the satellite
industry. "Neither wants to be the last one standing," said one
person close to the matter.
Eutelsat and
OneWeb to combine: a leap forward in Satellite Connectivity
Posted:
2 August 2022
PRESS RELEASE -26
JULY 2022 07;01
Eutelsat and
key OneWeb shareholders
[1] sign a Memorandum of Understanding with a view to combining
Eutelsat and OneWeb in an all-share transaction.
Eutelsat
shareholders and OneWeb shareholders
[2] would each hold 50% of the Eutelsat shares.
Compelling
financial profile with:
Potential
for double-digit revenue and EBITDA CAGR over the medium to
longer tyerm;
Eutelsat's strong cash flow generation providing visibility and
funding to support continued expansion into the LEO market
through OneWeb's next generation of satellites;
Over
€1.5bn potential incremental value-creation after tax (net of
implementation costs) stemming from revenue, capex and costsynergies.
Balanced board and governance structure, to include Eutelsat’s
Chairman and its CEO, OneWeb’s Chairman, and a significant number of
independent directors proposed by Eutelsat and OneWeb’s
shareholders, at Extraordinary General Meeting.
Fully backed by a strong set of strategic
shareholders of both entities, including Bpifrance and Fonds
Stratégique de Participations who have undertaken to vote in favour
of the transaction-related resolutions at this EGM, subject to usual
conditions.CMA
CGM, a shareholder of Eutelsat, is also supporting the combination.
Representing a transformational transaction, built on
the strong foundations established in April 2021 with Eutelsat’s
initial investment in OneWeb, this combination creates a global
leader uniquely positioned to capture the Connectivity market with
complementary GEO/LEO[3]offering.
Combined entity strongly positioned to address the fast-growing
global Connectivity market..
The transaction
values OneWeb at $34.4bn implying a value of
€12 per Eutelsat share (including the dividend,
before synergies).
Eutelsat to propose a €0.93 per share dividend with a
scrip option in respect of FY 2021-22 at its upcoming AGM. Such
dividend will not impact the exchange ratio.
Eutelsat will continue to be listed on Euronext Paris
and apply for admission to standard listing on the London Stock
Exchange.
The EU has
firmly ruled out the proposed Eutelsat/OneWeb merger as qualifying as
the likely candidate for the EU's own planned Low Earth Orbiting (LEO)
broadband constellaton.
As reported by
Sami Kassab, satellite analyst at investmnet back Exane/BNPP,
Christopher Grudier, the member of the European Parliament in charge of
the EU's LEO satellite project announced that "a rapprochement of OneWeb
with the Europeransat constellation seems impossible". He claimed
that "the EU cannot accept a UK veto on a secure connectivity
infrastructure". He argued that "the European Union needs to have
full control over its satellites without a risk of hindrance by an
outside actor." Adding "Europe will not compromise on this point".
Grudier is
referring to the golden share the UK Government has in OneWeb, and which
Eutelsat says would remain in place once the 'merger' with OneWeb goes
ahead. The 'golden share' has teh ability to block the sale of
OneWeb capacity to undesired countries.
We have lost
contact with these members below. If you have any information on
how to contact them, please send us an EMail at:
info@myiraa.comm
Mildred Coover John Crispin
Lydia Esguerra Fred Foldvary Roy Lee Huffman
Jethro Shedrick
Eutelsat+OneWeb: "Disappointing valuation" says bank
Posted:
27 July 2022
Investment bank
Exane/BNPP, in a comprehensive report on the proposed merger between
satellite operator Eutelsat and Low Earth Orbit constellation OneWeb,
says the "increase in interest rates, inflation, the war in Ukraine, [OneWeb]
Gen2 funding requirements all suggest a bit of patience could have
improved the financial outcome for minority shareholders...but the new
EU space policy apparently has precedence".
Analyst Sami
Kassab, author of the report, says the bank believes the timing of this
deal has to be seen first and foremost in the context of the new
European space policy and of the French government's geopolitical
agenda. Nevertheless, he describes the merger as "profoundly
changing the economic model of Eutelsat".
Eutelsat,OneWeb
to merge;Bharti to be single largest shareholder
Posted:
26 July
2022
Eutelsat and OneWeb Ltd are set to combine in an
all-share deal valuing the UK satellite operator at $3.4 bn, a step
toward creating a European champion to rival the likes of Elon Musk's
SpaceX
Topics
Press Trust of India | New Delhi
Last Updated at July 26, 2022 22:04 IST
French satellite operator Eutelsat and key shareholders
of Bharti-backed OneWeb have inked a pact for merger, entailing
all-share transacton, a statement said on Tuesday.
Post closing of the deal, Bharti Group will be the single
largest shareholder of Eutelsat.
The transactionj values OneWeb at USD 3.4 billion (over
Rs 27,000 crore),according to a joint statement.
Eutelsat willo combine its strong fleet of 36
Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellites with OneWeb's constellation of 648
Low Earth Orbit satellites, of which 428 are currently in orbit.
The announcement has a takeaway from the India market as
well, where OneWeb had received the letter of intent for the GMPCS
(Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite) licence from the
Department of Telecom.
Click
HEREfor
further details from
Business Standard.
Welcome New
Member
Posted:18
July 2022
We are pleased to Welcome the following new member
to the Intelsat
Retirees and Alumni Association:
July
2022 Hubert Keel
Bank:
SES/Intelsat merger worthwhile?
Posted:
28 June
2022
Equity analysts at Credit Suisse
have asked a key question in a fresh report and pondering whether a
merger between the world’s two biggest satellites operators, SES and
Intelsat, both based in Luxembourg, would pan out.
Their answer is a simple: you bet it would.
The bank’s report (European
Satellite: Scaling Up) suggests that there would be a 30 per cent uplift
to the overall equity value of the rivals and make complete sense.
Analyst Ben Lyons sums up the benefits saying that the theoretical
proposal could make industrial sense as both the operators have global
reach with more potential synergies, and both are pursuing Medium-Earth
Orbit (MEO) strategies.
A new report from Credit Suisse
explores possibilities for consolidation among the largest companies in
the satellite sector, estimating that in the event that SES and Intelsat merged,
it could provide more than 30% uplift to the equity value. Credit Suisse
shared the report, “European Satellite: Scaling Up” with Via
Satellite.
Ben Lyons, a satellite equity
analyst at Credit Suisse said in the report that an SES/Intelsat merger
“would make economic sense.” He says Credit Suisse believes
theoretically it could make industrial sense to combine SES and
Intelsat, as both have global reach with more potential synergies, and
are pursuing Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) strategies.
“On our scenario analysis, a
potential combination could generate synergies with an NPV [net present
value] of $2.6 billion and, if SES captures half of those synergies,
that would imply a roughly more than 30% uplift to the equity value. We
believe consolidation for SES is more straightforward economically
speaking as the OneWeb stake
makes consolidation more complex, but not impossible, for Eutelsat,”
he says.
Intelsat looks
to wrap bankruptcy claims
Posted:
20 June 2022
June 17, 2022
Lawyers for
Intelsat's bankruptcy filed a motion to the satellite operator's
bankruptcy court saying that they will b e apply for a 'Final Decree' on
or before June 29th. The doucmnet recognises that there may be
other matteres and claims still outstanding after that date.
Intelsat's Fourth
Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganisation was filed back on December 17th 2021
and subsequently accepted by the court with Intelsat emerging from its
Chapter 11 rteorganisation on Frebruary 23rd 2022.
Intelsat
serving 10,000 vessles
Posted: 10 June 2022
June 10, 2022
By Chris Forrester
Intelsat is now serving more than 10,000 vessels
with its Flexmartime Service.
Intelsat says it has more than 2,000 of its terminals in key martime
markets since November 2021, that includemerchant shipping, fishing,
leisure and offshore energy.
Launched in 2017, FlexMaritime is powered by a globel, multi-layered,
high-throughut satellite (HTS) network capable of deliver high density
bandwidth and extremely high levels of service flexibility and
reliability.
Click
HERE
for
further details from
DEuropean Union
Welcome New
Members
Posted:16
May 2022
We are pleased to Welcome the following new members
to the Intelsat
Retirees and Alumni Association:
May
2022
Angela Maimo Daniel Stefanita
Help Us Find These Members
Posted:
22
April 2022
We have lost
contact with these members below. If you have any information on
how to contact them, please send us an EMail at:
info@myiraa.comm
John Crispin Lydia Esguerra
Roy Lee Huffman
Welcome New
Member
Posted: 6 April 2022
We are pleased to Welcome the following new member
to the Intelsat
Retirees and Alumni Association:
April 2022
Raj Mehta
David Wajsgras to Become Intelsat CEO
Posted:
7 March 2022
McLean, Va. – Intelsat, operator of the world’s
largest integrated satellite and terrestrial network, has tapped David
Wajsgras, as its next chief executive officer (CEO). Effective April 4,
Wajsgras succeeds Stephen Spengler, who announced his planned retirement
in Oct. 2021.
Wajsgras has two decades of experience at the senior
executive management level, providing operational, strategic and
financial leadership in both the commercial and defense industries. He
most recently served as president of the global, $7.5-billion,
advanced-technology Intelligence, Information and Services (IIS)
business at the former Raytheon Company, now part of Raytheon
Technologies (NYSE: RTX). Before joining Raytheon as chief financial
officer, Wajsgras was
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