Viasat claims KA-SAT as Eutelsat joint venture winds down

SAN FRANCISCO — Viasat announced plans Nov. 19 to purchase the remaining assets of the European joint venture it established with Eutelsat Communications for 140 million euros ($166 million), including the KA-SAT broadband satellite.

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Op-ed | Satellites are data companies, too

Satellite network operators will soon be saddled with the same regulatory responsibilities as terrestrial network players.

Viasat, lured by broadband subsidy opportunity, eyes 300-satellite LEO constellation

Viasat says it is open to building a constellation of nearly 300 satellites in low Earth orbit if it can qualify for some of the $20.4 billion in broadband subsidies the U.S. Federal Communications Commission intends to dole out under the Rural Digital Opportunities Fund. 

RSCC planning four satellites to cover Russia’s Far North

Yuri Prokhorov, RSCC’s chief executive, said the company wants to have the satellites in orbit in 2024 to provide Ku-band coverage to Russia’s Far North.

EchoStar, Khosla Ventures invest $60 million in Wyler-backed broadband venture

Tarana Wireless has raised $200 million in total from investors that include AT&T, Deutsche Telekom and Wyler’s 1010 Holdings, LLC.

Viasat orders Asia Pacific ViaSat-3 from Boeing amid record revenue

Viasat CEO Mark Dankberg said the company has executed an agreement with Boeing for a third ViaSat-3 satellite, securing the last spacecraft needed for global Ka-band coverage.

Eutelsat pivots for competition with Viasat on European broadband

Eutelsat on May 14 said it is taking steps to secure a foothold in the European broadband market after last month’s decision to forgo jointly funding a satellite with Viasat turned the two companies into direct competitors.

Wall Street analysts balk at Viasat-Eutelsat split on European broadband

Eutelsat’s decision to scrap an investment in Viasat’s ViaSat-3 system in favor of a fully-owned satellite means the two companies will now be competitors in the European broadband market — a stance analysts view as bad for both operators.

LEO and MEO broadband constellations mega source of consternation

The world’s biggest, best established satellite operators talk of broadband as an enormously lucrative opportunity. But in truth, nothing is causing them more frustration.

Startup plans to provide broadband using small GEO satellites

Startup company Astranis has raised $18 million to provide broadband internet access from space using small satellites in geostationary orbit.

NBN of Australia says bandwidth demand requires use of 2nd satellite

Australia’s NBN Co. on May 31 said it will use the full capacity of its second Ka-band spot-beam satellite, scheduled for launch this year, to accommodate the faster-than-expected rise in bandwidth demand rather than keep it as an in-orbit spare.

NBN To Leverage Terrestrial Links To Boost Throughput Via Satellite

As has been the case with U.S. consumer satellite broadband providers, NBN’s challenge is to assure a guaranteed minimum throughput for all subscribers.

Yahsat, Hughes Expand Partnership To Serve Africa

The announcement comes on the heels of Paris-based Eutelsat’s decision to build a Ka-band satellite for Africa.

ViaSat Willing To Bet Big on Super-high-throughput Satellites

ViaSat Inc. on Nov. 9 said it is likely to order the first of what is intended as a three-satellite constellation of ViaSat-3 Ka-band broadband satellites covering the globe with throughput capacity of 1 terabit per second each.

SpaceX President Downplays Commitment To Building Broadband Constellation

SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell on Oct. 27 downplayed the company’s 4,000-satellite broadband Internet constellation, saying the project remained “very speculative” pending a deeper assessment of its business case.

Lufthansa Books Passage on Inmarsat’s Global Xpress

PARIS — Europe’s largest commercial airliner, Lufthansa, on Oct. 20 contracted with mobile satellite services provider Inmarsat to use Inmarsat’s Ka-band Global Xpress satellite service on Lufthansa’s European fleet.

Facebook, Eutelsat To Pay Spacecom $95M for Ka-band Lease

The lease of capacity on the Amos-6 satellite — about 18 gigabits per second of throughput — can be extended for up to two years at a reduced rate.

Aero and Maritime Broadband Providers Expect Consolidation Despite Market Growth

The fixed-cost nature of buying satellite capacity argues so heavily for fewer and larger service providers that some see consolidation as inevitable.

OmniAccess To Lease Bandwidth from Panasonic Avionics

The Spanish maritime satellite communications provider said it would deploy the capacity on its existing fleet of more than 250 ships and would explore ways to work with Panasonic in aeronautical broadband delivery as well.

As it Eyes Expansion, Gogo Says U.S. Market Share is Secure

The company says the $130,000 in annual revenue it receives per connected plane now is likely to rise to close to $1 million per plane in 20 years.