June 2015

Photo: US Navy NEXCOM [Via Satellite 06-10-2015] The United States Navy Exchange Service Command’s Telecommunications Program Office (NEXCOM TPO) has expanded its partnership with ViaSat to upgrade its wireless Internet and voice services, and provide a global enterprise-wide Wi-Fi system to Navy Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) facilities, Unaccompanied Housing (UH), Navy Lodges and Navy…

Inmarsat HQImage credit: Inmarsat [Via Satellite 06-10-2015] Inmarsat is relocating the Inmarsat-4 F2 (I-4 F2) communications satellite to a new orbital position above the Indian Ocean. From this position, the satellite will provide L-band services to customers in the Middle East and Asia region, with commercial services scheduled to begin by the end of the…

Artist’s rendition of a SBIRS satellite. Photo: Lockheed Martin [Via Satellite 06-10-2015] The United States Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center has awarded Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company a contract modification to use the modernized A2100 spacecraft based on the company’s Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Technical Refresh proposal. The effort will modernize the…

David Crawford, managing director of satellite and media at Arqiva. Photo: Arqiva [Via Satellite 06-09-2015] Arqiva, a leading U.K. based communications infrastructure and media services company, expects to see a near-term rise in its domestic satellite capacity needs, but sees compression technology and the increased build-out of fiber slackening demand for satellite elsewhere. David Crawford,…

Artist rendition of an Intelsat EpicNG satellite. Photo: Intelsat. [Via Satellite 06-19-2015] Intelsat has introduced IntelsatOne Flex for distribution partners serving the commercial air transport market. IntelsatOne Flex aggregates Intelsat’s current satellites, the upcoming EpicNG High Throughput Satellite (HTS) fleet and the IntelsatOne terrestrial network into a simplified ecosystem that enables Intelsat’s distribution partners to…

Maritime vessels rely heavily on satellite for communications out at see. Photo: Bridget Coila (Flickr) [Via Satellite 06-09-2015] Inmarsat has expanded its relationship with Globecomm, a Value Added Reseller (VAR) for Global Xpress satellite services in enterprise and global government to include global maritime. Inmarsat’s Global Xpress Ka-band broadband satellite network is integrated with the…

A SatLink Communications 13-meter satellite dish. Photo: SatLink Communications [Via Satellite 06-09-2015] RR Media has agreed to acquire SatLink Communications for $19 million, subject to certain adjustments. The purchase, which follows the recent acquisition of Eastern Space Systems (ESS), is expected to expand RR Media’s global content distribution network and content management footprint, as well…

The ICG eRouter ERT-120. Photo: XipLink [Via Satellite 06-09-2015] Wireless link optimization specialist XipLink, working with service partner Rockwell Collins ARINCDirect and routing technology partner International Communications Group (ICG) have announced that the first production business aviation customers are now in service. The ARINCDirect service uses XipLink XA appliance gateways on the ground network while…

A PlanetiQ graphic lightly explaining GPS-RO. Photo: PlanetiQ. [Via Satellite 06-08-2015] Commercial weather data startup PlanetiQ could look to build a larger constellation of satellites based on the successful test of its Pyxis Radio-Occultation (RO) sensor. The company recently began testing the processing of Global Positioning System (GPS) signals with the sensor, which will eventually…

exactEarth’s coverage map with hosted payloads on Iridium Next. Photo: exactEarth [Via Satellite 06-08-2015] ExactEarth and Harris Corporation have formed an alliance to build 58 hosted payloads covering the maritime Very High Frequency (VHF) band on the Iridium Next constellation. The hosted payloads will significantly increase the size of exactEarth’s constellation — up from eight…