Intelsat
FIRST UP Satcom | Intelsat joins GSMA • SSTL completes first GEO bus • Kacific buys Newtec hub
Global fleet operator Intelsat has joined GSMA, a mobile network operators' association that has sparred with the satellite industry over spectrum.
C-Band Alliance plan would require 5G networks to pay for eight new satellites
The two largest members of the C-Band Alliance would each need four new satellites in order to continue providing telecom services in the U.S. if the Federal Communications Commission accepts its C-band plan, the group said Dec. 19.
Intelsat launches broadband service aimed at military and government aircraft
The telecommunications company COMSAT, which supplies services to the U.S. government, has signed a deal with Intelsat to market FlexAir to U.S. government aviation users and coalition partners.
C-Band Alliance members promise to buy American for new satellites under C-band plan
Members of the C-Band Alliance have stipulated that they will only buy U.S.-built satellites to replace any capacity lost through the transfer of some C-band spectrum to cellular operators for 5G, a move that could position their plan more favorably with the White House and Congress.
C-Band Alliance doubles spectrum offer to 200 megahertz
Members of the C-Band Alliance on Oct. 22 increased the amount of spectrum they are willing to part with in the United States, aligning their plan more closely with that of the Federal Communications Commission as a deadline for input looms.
ABS, Hispasat and Star One cry foul over C-Band Alliance
Three regional satellite operators with C-band coverage over the United States have complained to U.S. telecom regulators about being left out of a group led by four of the world’s largest satellite operators to arrange a proposed spectrum transfer to the wireless industry.
FIRST UP Satcom | Intelsat invests in AMN • Iridium gets $44 million DISA contract extension • NSR finds slow growth in satellite operator revenues
Intelsat invested in Africa Mobile Networks (AMN), a U.K.-headquartered group of companies with telecom infrastructure in Africa, to reach "ultra-rural" parts of the sub-Saharan side of the continent.
Intelsat: losing 200 or more megahertz of C-band will require new satellites
Intelsat says some satellite operators will be forced to buy new spacecraft if U.S. telecom regulators demand the transfer of 200 or more megahertz of C-band spectrum from satellite operators to cellular companies.
Telesat changes tune, joins C-band spectrum group
Canadian fleet operator Telesat has joined Intelsat, SES and Eutelsat as part of an industry consortium it once threatened to oppose.
Arianespace launches 100th Ariane 5, completes Intelsat Epic constellation
European launch provider Arianespace completed the 100th launch of a heavy-lift Ariane 5 rocket Sept. 25, carrying two satellites co-owned between Intelsat and partner satellite operators.
Satellite operators spar on spectrum sharing
Chief executives of satellite operators took sharply divergent views on working with terrestrial mobile operators on access to spectrum, with some advocating for negotiations while another warned of making any deals.
FIRST UP Satcom | Globalstar scraps FiberLight merger • Intelsat finds new Ariane 5 co-passenger
FIRST UP Satcom is a weekly SpaceNews newsletter for satellite and telecom professionals.
FCC votes to open C-band for 5G
“We are going to need a bigger boat,” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said July 12, quoting the 1975 movie Jaws as a metaphor for the challenge of handling 5G needs. “Or in our case, more spectrum.”
Why Intelsat’s going with life extension over refueling
Intelsat-901, a 17-year-old communications satellite running low on propellant, is awaiting a first-of-its-kind service call from a robotic spacecraft carrying a fresh tank of fuel.
Asian satellite operators worried U.S. C-band debate will affect their markets
Satellite operators in Asia say the debate over C-band in the United States is triggering similar discussions in their markets, causing concern that cellular operators could end up in control of the spectrum in other parts of the world.
FCC unveils proposal for C-band reallocation
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission issued a draft proposal June 21 for giving the wireless industry access to C-band spectrum commercial satellite operators use to deliver cable and broadcast network programming.
