It was in the cards. Keeping Blockbuster retail outlets open for video rentals is not a good business. The future, my boy, is “streaming.”

However, if you convert parts of the store into a Dish Network service center, you may have a really good proposition on your hands. Via Reuters…

“We are committed to keeping the profitable stores open that are generating positive cash flow, but there are ones that aren’t going to make it,” Clayton said in an interview. “We will close unprofitable stores. We will close additional stores.”

Clayton would not give a time frame on the closings or say how many stores were currently unprofitable. Spokesman Marc Lumpkin said the closings will be on a “case by case” basis.

Clayton, who became CEO of Dish last year when billionaire Charlie Ergen stepped down to focus on Dish’s wireless strategy as chairman, said the stores that stay open will sell Dish subscriptions and may one day provide customer support for its television customers.

“If a consumer has a problem, just bring your box in and we’ll give you a new one so you don’t have to stay at home and wait for an installation,” he said.

Subscribers to Dish’s Latino service may also be able to pay their TV bills in stores in metropolitan markets, he added.

Dish has tried to tap the Blockbuster brand by unveiling a new Internet streaming service and a program to rent DVDs by mail, in a bid to challenge Netflix Inc.

If they buy Hulu and add wireless spectrum to serve their streaming business, Dish Network can be very well positioned in remaining a good business model.

Ericsson appointed to install end-to-end systems integration and deployment of mobile and satellite communications throughout shipping company Maersk’s vessel fleet.
[Engineering News – 01/13/2012]

China’s Ziyuan III satellite sends back first set of hi-res visual data.
[CRI English – 01/12/2012]

Russian Mars probe falling to Earth this weekend reinforces perception that the sky is falling, as portrayed in an IMAX movie that debuts this weekend as well.
[msnbc – 01/12/2011]

FCC reviewing decades-old TV rules preventing cable and satellite companies from airing NFL games and other sporting events that are blacked out on local broadcast TV.
[USA Today – 01/12/2012]

Iridium and KVH team to provide first seamless global broadband maritime satellite communications service.
[Sat PR News – 01/12/2012]

Lockheed Martin Space Systems gets $283.5 million contact to begin building third and fourth satellites for next generation of the Global Positioning System.
[Philadelphia Business Journal – 01/12/2012]

British satellite manufacturer Surrey Satellite Technology celebrates sixth year of operation of GIOVE-A satellite, initiating Europe’s ambitious satellite navigation program, though the satellite only had design life of 27 months.
[SatNews – 01/12/2012]

Sea Tel, GVF, and SatProf collaborate to provide online training with interactive 3D models in a program to ensure high-quality marine VSAT terminal deployments.
[SatNews – 01/12/2012]

LightSquared seeks probe of federal official involved in deciding whether the company can deploy its hybrid satellite-LTE network, saying he simultaneously serves on the board of a GPS company opposing the network.
[PC World – 01/12/2012]

Comtech receives $1 million order for SATCOM equipment to support mobile backhaul for a Latin American mobile operator.
[Market Watch – 01/12/2012]

United Launch Services gets $1.516 billion contract to support launch of nine government satellites.
[SatNews – 01/12/2012]

Diversity and routing, inherent in the Hughes Spaceway satellite, allow the satellite to act more like a mesh network than the traditional satellite, representing a possible “game changer” for communications.
[Emergency Management – 01/12/2012]

Director of Florida’s Cape Canaveral rocket range cites busy 2012 launch schedule as proof there is life after NASA’s shuttle program.
[Florida Today – 01/11/2012]

Eritrea accuses Ethiopia of blocking satellite transmissions.
[Bloomberg – 01/11/2012]

RRsat offering capacity at attractive prices on HOTBIRD satellite video neighborhood, which hosts 13 premium platforms, over 600 pay-TFV channels, 500 fee-to-air channels, and over 100 HDTV channels.
[SatNews – 01/11/2012]

Blue Sky Network announces that the Caribbean’s newest low fare airline, REDjet, will use its satellite tracking, fleet management, and automated flight following solutions hardware.
[SatNews – 01/12/2012]

Russia space chief says some of nation’s satellites may have been sabotaged by foreign forces.
{Washington Post – 01/10/2012]

ORBCOMM launches VesselSat2 satellite. [MENA FN – 01/10/2012]

Fourth WGS satellite set to launch January 19 from Cape Canaveral.
[Sat PR News – 01/10/2012]

Frequency Electronics announces follow-on contracts to provide timing and microwave frequency sources for the next two WGS satellites.
[Market Watch – 01/10/2012]

ViaSat offering 12 Mbps/ 3 Mbps residential home broadband service it calls Exede, using its new ViaSat 1 satellite.
[theverge – 01/10/2012]

Belgium Satellite Services and Intersat partner to expand operations and service delivery in the Middle East and African markets.
[Business Wire – 01/10/2012]

AsiaSat leases AsiaSat 5 C-band capacity to India’s Raj Television.
[Satellite Today – 01/10/2012]

DirecTV to offer ‘boxless’ content to Samsung smart TVs, with no external set-top box required.
[Home Media Magazine – 01/10/2012]

LightSquared owner meets with FCC staffers in appeal for approval of commercial service over the company’s network.
[Nextgov – 01/10/2012]

New National Space Academy is launched, supported by Inmarsat, to create network of outstanding teachers and space scientists to support space science.
[SatNews – 01/09/2012]\

SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft to be first commercial American space transport vehicle to use solar arrays for powering sensors, heating and cooling systems, and communications with Space Station and SpaceX’s Mission Control Center.
[SatNews – 01/09/2012]

Vietnam to launch its second satellite, Vinasat-2, in April.
[SatNews – 01/09/2012]

Chinese ambassador announces that China will launch Bolivia’s first telecommunications satellite, Tupac Katari, in December 2013.
[Satellite Today – 01/09/2012]

Hughes IP BGAN M2M 9502 terminal requires less than 1W of power when idle, enabling satellite M2M communications for those off the grid and in other vulnerable locations.
[SatNews – 01/09/2012]

Dish to bet big on whole-home DVR with three tuners, one set to record up to 8 days of Prime-time programs from 4 major networks, and capability to connect to up to 4 TVs in the house.
[gigaom.com – 01/09/2012]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services
WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

United Cargo begins accepting OnAsset SENTRY 400 FlightSafe asset tracking device for transport on its entire mainline jet fleet of more than 700 aircraft.
[SatNews – 01/06/2012]

France 24 selects Arqiva for five-year News Channel distribution deal.
[Satellite Today – 01/06/2012]

Remarkable rescue of U.S. military satellite – the Advanced Extremely High Frequency 1 satellite is successfully undergoing in orbit testing after 14 months and nearly 500 maneuvers boosted it into orbit after the Liquid Apogee Engine failure in August 2010.
[Space – 01/05/2012]

China sees its ambitious space program, with 5-year plan including moon landing, and a satellite observation and global positioning system rivaling that of the United States, as means to increase its role as a world power.
[AFP – 01/05/2012]

Nigeria sees Sat Comm as the way to go for broadband connectivity, coupling satellite capacity with new generation mobile technology for last-mile connectivity, and leveraging the recently launched NigComSat-1R technology.
[The Nation – 01/05/2012]

Arianespace preparing for busiest year of flight activity ever in 2012, benefitting from availability of three launch vehicles – Ariane 5, Soyuz, and Vega – side by side in French Guiana.
[SatNews – 01/05/2012]

ViaSat enters into new five-year deal with National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative that will bring 12 Mbps next-generation satellite broadband service (Viasat 1) to market within weeks.
[Sacramento Bee – 01/05/2012]

Hughes to launch fourth-generation Internet service in mid-2012.
[Satellite Today – 01/05/2012]

Dish Network to launch broadband satellite service and multiroom DVR in 2012.
[Multichannel News – 01/05/2012]

Comtech Telecommunications gets $1.1 million SATCOM equipment order from European integrator for ground equipment to upgrade European Ministry of Defense satellite earth stations.
[Market Watch – 01/05/2012]

Department of Defense wants to create new satellite and robotic system to repurpose and reuse retired satellites sitting in geostationary orbit over the earth. [Information Week – 01/04/2012]

Industry team led by Intelsat General conducts successful tests verifying interoperability of hosted UHF payload on Intelsat 22 (to be launched in a few months) with legacy UHF radios.
[SatNews – 01/04/2012]

Just as crippled Russian satellite, Phobos-Grunt, threatens to fall from the sky, a new film “Space Junk 3D” will open in IMAX and other giant screen theaters, exploring the exponentially expanding ring of manmade debris that threatens orbits around the earth.
[Sacramento Bee – 01/04/2012]

ITT Exelis gets $121 million contract to support Army wideband satellite communications centers.
[UPI – 01/04/2012]

GeoEye works with Russian partner, ScanEx Research and Development Center, to provide millions of square kilometers of high-resolution satellite imagery to the Russian Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre, and Cartography.
[SatNews – 01/04/2012]

Hackers plan a satellite network to keep Internet going in case of disaster that affects its availability.
[Information Week – 01/04/2012]

DeLorne’s inReach is personal communication device offering consumer-affordable two-way satellite communication, message delivery confirmation, remote tracking, and SOS emergency capability anywhere in the world.
[Sacramento Bee – 01/04/2012]

Russian satellite Phobos-Grunt, which was stranded in Earth orbit on the way to Mars, is expected to fall back to Earth next week.
[SatNews – 01/03/2012]

Inmarsat reorganizes to focus on core markets.
[gCaptain – 01/03/2012]

Comtech Telecommunications gets $16.6 million of orders to support U.S> Army’s movement tracking system and Blue-Force Tracking-1 programs.
[Market Watch – 01/03/2012]

LightSquared gets additional 30 days from Sprint to get FCC clearance to operate its network.
[Wall Street Journal – 01/03/2012]

Globalstar Europe Satellite Services signs distribution agreement with TS2 Satellite Technologies, who will act as National Distributor for mobile satellite voice and duplex data products to defense, government, and private sectors in Poland.
[Sacramento Bee – 01/03/2012]

Gilat wins $16 million extension to contract with Colombia to provide rural communications satellite services.
[Globes – 01/03/2012]

Inmarsat in talks with Bharat Sanchar Nigam of India to form partnership to provide satellite broadband services in remote areas of India, and to the Indian Defence forces.
[The Hindo Business Line – 01/02/2012]

ATCi is selected by U.S. Defense Department to supply Ka-band networks designed for high throughput Ka-band satellite communication systems worldwide.
[SatNews – 01/02/2012]

YahLive signs partnership agreement with Etisalat to collaborate on satellite broadcasting services, allowing UAE based companies to broadcast in HD format for the first time.
[SatNews – 01/02/2012]

Orbcomm to purchase subsidiary of PAR Technology in order to expand its share of the market for tracking clients’ assets and cargo.
[northjersey.com – 01/01/2012]

Over The Top (OTT) (Video over the Internet) services are coming to DTH markets around the world – Super Bowl to be available in near HD in 2012 – will 2012 be the year of convergence?
[NSR Report – January 2012]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Chinese government reveals five year space plan, including more space laboratories and human space flight.
[Forbes – 12/30/2011]

ORBCOMM to acquire PAR hospitality technology and services company, increasing its customer base in its asset and cargo monitoring business.
[NASDAQ – 12/30/2011]

Skycasters is awarded General Services Administration contract to provide Internet services to GSA government agencies.
[Satellite Today – 12/30/2011]

Hughes seeks access to United States market from its Jupiter Ka-band satellite licensed in the U.K and located at the 97.1 degrees west orbital slot.
[Satellite Today – 12/29/2011]

Russian Soyuz rocket successfully launches six Globalstar mobile-communications satellites.
Space News – 12/29/2011]

Russia’s most recent Soyuz launch failure, sending what should have been the fifth Meridian satellite placed in orbit instead crashing back to Earth, may have serious impact on Russian military communications.
[Strategy Page – 12/29/2011]

Global Marine Networks announces distribution agreement with Vobal Technologies, making VoIP services available to its maritime customers.
[PR Web – 12/29/2011]

Starmax HD shuts down service via Hispasat, saying the shutdown will be temporary and it will return soon.
[Satellite Today – 12/29/2011]

Sudan and Ukraine to cooperate in the launch of a Sudanese satellite.
[Sudan Vision – 12/29/2011]

ORBCOMM and SpaceX improve launch plans for OG2 satellites, planning launch of first prototype on the first Cargo Re-supply Services mission in mid 2012.
[MarketWatch – 12/28/2011]

Japanese satellite launch business faces cloudy future, with tough competition from Russia’s Proton and Europe’s Ariane.
[Japan Times – 12/28/2011]

ATCi and ACORDE selected by U.S. Defense Department to supply Ka-band networks designed for high-throughput Ka-band satellite communication systems worldwide.
[Market Watch – 12/28/2011]

Arabsat transfers Arabsat-2B telecom network to new Arabsat-5C satellite.
[Satellite Today – 12/28/2011]

ORBCOMM prepares for launch of second AIS satellite, VesselSat2, with target date of January 10, 2012.
[Market Watch – 12/27/2011]

Iran steps up its jamming of Western Persian-language television broadcasts, even as it has satellite access to dozens of countries for its state-run TV channels.
[Newser – 12/27/2011]

SES-4 launch delayed 25 days due to Proton upper state technical issues, following loss of Russian Meridian military satellite.
[Satellite Today – 12/27/2011]

Russian and wife narrowly escape being crushed by fragment of Russian Meridian satellite following launch failure.
[Daily Mail – 12/26/2011]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Missing out on being in New York for the New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square? Don’t go: downlink it!

LIVE coverage in North America…

Via Fiber in HD — Saturday, December 31, 2011; 5:55 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. EST — The New York Switch: PL-5C

Via Satellite in HD — Saturday, December 31, 2011; 10:00 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. EST

• C-band: AMC 1, Transponder C24 SLOT A; Orbital Location 103-deg. West; Downlink Frequency 4171 Vertical, Bandwidth 18 MEG, FEC 3 / 4, Symbol Rate 13.0
• Ku-band: AMC 1, Transponder K16 SLOT A, Orbital Location 103-deg. West, Downlink Frequency 12011 Vertical, Bandwidth 18 MEG, FEC 3 / 4, Symbol Rate 13.0
• Technical Contact: Lenny Laxer 917-299-0205

…and Internationally…

Via Satellite in SD 16:9 — Saturday, December 31, 2011 – 11:45 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. EST (Sunday, January 1, 2012 0445-0515 GMT)

• EUROPE: IS 905 61/61 slot A, Orbital Location 335.5-deg. East; Downlink Frequency 10958.5 Vertical, FEC 3 /4,Symbol Rate 6.1113; Bandwidth 9 MEG, Compression Tandberg 4:2:0, Video Standard PAL
• LATIN AMERICA: IS 9 24C, Slot A, Orbital Location 58-deg. West; Downlink Frequency 4146.5 Horizontal, FEC 3/4,
• ASIA: IS 5 23C, VIRTUAL CHANNEL 2, Orbital Location 169-deg. East; Downlink Frequency 4160 Horizontal, FEC 3/4,Symbol Rate 6.1113, Bandwidth 9 MEG, Video Standard PAL
• AFRICA: IS10 15C, Slot B, Orbital Location 68.5-deg. East; Downlink Frequency 3836.5 Vertical, FEC 3/4,Symbol Rate 6.1113, Bandwidth 9 MEG, Compression Tandberg 4:2:0, Video Standard PAL
• Technical Contact: Lenny Laxer 917-299-0205

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Russian space industry suffers another black eye as Meridian communications satellite fell to the ground soon after it was launched, although earlier Soyuz launch with three astronauts for the International Space Station was successful.
[Daily Mail – 12/23/2011]

USAF hosted payload on SES satellite, Commercially Hosted Infrared Payload (CHIRP), completes initial on orbit tests and begins demonstration period.
[Space Daily – 12/23/2011]

SES partners with Rustyice of the UK for distribution of SES’ satellite-based broadband service ASTRA2Connect throughout the UK.
[Space Daily – 12/23/2011]

China successfully launches Ziyuan I-02C remote sensing satellite.
[SatNews – 12/22/2011]

Globecomm Systems gets $3.1 million add-on to $32 million contract to provide state of the art satellite communication system for a Multinational organization.
[SatNews – 12/22/2011]

Arianespace readies the first Ariane 5 for launch in 2012 to receive the Automated Transfer Vehicle cargo resupply vessel as its payload.
[Satellite-Evolution – 12/22/2011]

GlobeCast signs deal with Fashion One TV to bring its TV channel to millions of new homes across sub-Sharan Africa via capacity on Astra 4A satellite.
[SatNews – 12/22/2011]

U.S. Air Force orders eighth Wideband Global SATCOM program communications satellite from Boeing.
[Spaceflight Now – 12/21/2011]

Launch of the SES-4 satellite, to be the largest in the SES fleet, is scheduled for December 27 aboard a Proton M/Breeze M launch vehicle from Baikonur.
[SatNews – 12/21/2011]

TCS agrees to second extension to its U.S. Army World-Wide Satellite Systems Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract, now to run through July 27, 2013.
[Market Watch – 12/21/2011]

Astrium to acquire 66.78 percent of Space Engineering.
[SatNews – 12/21/2011]

Intelsat General describes how they helped the Navy manage the coordination and control of its vast Commercial Broadband Satellite Program network.
[SatNews – 12/21/2011]

Astrium purchases Norwegian satellite communications company Vizada for $876 million.
[UPI – 12/21/2011]

LightSquared seeks to turn the tables on GPS device makers by filing petition with FCC seeking “declaratory ruling” confirming its right to use its licensed spectrum, claiming device makers purposefully designed equipment to look into LightSquared’s spectrum.
[Financial Times Technology – 12/21/2011]

Senator Grassley of Iowa holds up two nominees for FCC board on concerns of constituent Deere & Co. that LightSquared’s planned network may impact GPS network used by farmers – example of political mess LightSquared has landed in.
[Forbes – 12/21/2011]

China is prepared to launch 5 satellites for foreign customers next year.
[China Daily – 12/21/2011]

Gateway Communications is selected by Kawuleza of South Africa as partner to provide high speed bandwidth by satellite to major South African cities.
[Tech Zone – 12/21/2011]

Colombia contracts Gilat VSAT to connect more than 1,600 schools.
[Satellite Today – 12/21/2011]

China launches NigComSat-1R, replacement for satellite that failed in 2008, for Nigeria.
[AFP – 12/20/2011]

Arianespace Soyuz successfully orbits the Pleiades 1A, SSOT, and four ELISA satellites from European spaceport in French Guiana.
[Satellite Today – 12/20/2011]

Dish Network in center of wireless universe as AT&T walks away from acquisition of T-Mobile, a deal opposed by Justice Department.
[Wall Street Journal – 12/20/2011]

SES announces that the speed of its satellite-based broadband service ASTRA2Connect is now available with download speed up to 10 Mbps.
[SatNews – 12/20/2011]

Comtech announces $4.1 million contract for SATCOM equipment to support mobile backhaul.
[Market Watch – 12/20/2011]

Globecomm Systems receives contract extension from NATO CIS valued at $8.8 million to extend communication services and onsite support for its GPS-based Force Tracking System.
[SatNews – 12/20/2011]

Raytheon’s Navy Multiband Terminal successfully tests with on-orbit AEHF satellite.
[Sacramento Bee – 12/20/2011]

Glowlink gets major competitive contract from US Air Force for satellite carrier monitoring and interference geolocation capabilities.
[SatNews – 12/20/2011]

Russia and India announce intent to cooperate on satellite navigation services.
[Satellite Today – 12/19/2011]

U.S. Navy’s first MUOS satellite is undergoing post-shipment testing at Cape Canaveral in preparation for February launch following delivery by Lockheed Martin.
[UPI – 12/19/2011]

Next cluster of six second-generation Globalstar satellites ready for launch next week from Baikonur.
[SatNews – 12/19/2011]

Fourth WGS satellite moves closer to launch as it is encapsulated in teh Delta IV Launch vehicle payload fairing.
[Space Ref – 12/19/2011]

Comtech Xicom Technology receives orders totaling $3.2 million for Ka-band high-power amplifiers for commercial satellite DTH services and emerging high throughput satellite market.
[Market Watch – 12/19/2011]

Plans underway for ESA’s Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle to be launched on Europe’s new Vega rocket in 2014.
[SatNews – 12/19/2011]

SpaceX Dragon to attempt first commercial cargo run to the International  Space Station on February 7.
[Satellite Today – 12/16/2011]

NSR report – military satellite revenues will double for cost-conscious  providers.
[Satellite Today – 12/16/2011]

NovelSat, developers of 3G-Sat modulation technology, announce new satellite  data rate world record of 357Mbps on 72 MHz transponder.
[SatNews –  12/16/2011]

Artel contracts Cable & Wireless to connect 30 satellite earth stations  around the globe with MPLS data network.
[Satellite Today – 12/16/2011]

Indian Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology states  that foreign tourists are illegally using satellite phones and could pose a  national security threat.
[Press Information  Bureau, Government of India – 12/16/2011]

Second Soyuz mission is scheduled to launch from French Guyana the morning of  December 175h, carrying the French Earth observation satellite Pleiades-1, four  French ELISA micro-satellites, and Chile’s SSOT Earth Observation Platform..
[SatNews –  12/15/2011]

Replacement for NIGCOMSAT 1, deorbited in 2008, NIGCOMSAT 1R is scheduled to  be launched from China on December 19.
[Daily Times – 12/15/2011]

New generation of weather and environmental satellites, GOES-15, officially  becomes operational as GOES-West as of December 13.
[SatNews –  12/15/2011]

Lockheed Martin delivers U.S. Navy’s first Mobile User Objective System  satellite to Cape Canaveral for scheduled February 16th launch.
[Market Watch – 12/15/2011]

National Space Society hails announcement of Stratolaunch Systems, a Paul  Allen Project to reduce cost of space travel, carrying launch rockets to high  altitude aboard largest aircraft ever built, with six 747 engines.
[SatNews –  12/15/2011]

AsiaSat and THAICOM announce signing of cooperative agreement to provide  satellite services from orbital location of 120 degrees East.
[SatNews –  12/15/2011]

U.S. Air Force’s first Advanced Extremely High Frequency military  communications satellite is successfully progressing through initial on-orbit  tests.
[SatNews  – 12/15/2011]

Republic of Estonia signs accession agreement to become full Member State of  EUMETSAT by 2012.
[SatNews –  12/15/2011]

FCC passes rules requiring broadcast, satellite, and cable companies to quiet  down loud ads.
[Washington Post – 12/15/2011]

Physicists in Low Temperature Laboratory of Aalto University show how a  nanomechanical oscillator can be used for detection and amplification of feeble  radio waves or microwaves with almost no noise.
[R&D Magazine – 12/15/2011]

NXP Semiconductors announce SiGe:C Low Noise Amplifiers that improve  linearity, noise figure, and reception of GPS signals, delivering 10 dB  improvement under -40 to -20 dBm jamming conditions.
[SatNews –  12/15/2011]

Government committee says that LightSquared’s network affects a “majority” of  general-purpose GPS receivers and technology used to land planes.
[Wireless Week – 12/15/2011]

PacStar is awarded $12.2 million contract by U.S. Dept. of Defense to deliver  tactical communications solution to U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
[Market Watch – 12/15/2011]

Satellite industry warns governments of the world of their concerns over  proposed piece of international legislation called the Unidroit Space Assets  Protocol which risks complicating and damaging what is currently in place.
[SatNews –  12/14/2011]

Enhanced compression technology and digitization is improving the efficiency  of satellite transponders – by 2017 global demand for C- and Ku-band  transponders is forecast to total 7,840.36 MHz TPEs (transponder equivalents)..
[Official Wire – 12/14/2011]

Avanti Communications shares are lifted by satellite bandwidth contract win  from Bentley Walker for U.S. $1.1 million.
[Proactive Investors – 12/14/2011]

European Space Agency updates application for iPhone and iPad, allowing users  to see ESA’s latest satellite imagery from Envisat in near-real time.
[SatNews –  12/14/2011]

Gilat is selected by JSC NC Kazsatnet’ of Kazakhstan for high speed data  connectivity among over 200 VSATS in multi-star topology with NetEdge Gateway  solution.
[Market Watch – 12/14/2011]

Arianespace signs contract with MEASAT for launch of MEASAT-3b in 2013.
[SatNews –  12/14/2011]

SES announces four global sales regions with dedicated management to  consolidate positions in the Americas and Europe, and further focus on emerging  and growth markets.
[SatNews –  12/14/2011]

XTAR joins Operation First Response to support wounded U.S. soldiers.
[Satellite Today – 12/14/2011]

Globecomm Systems gets 1-year $6 million service contract from U.S.  Government agency to provide IT support services relating to Internet  connectivity via its teleport.
[SatNews –  12/14/2011]

CalAmp begins volume shipments of new product designed to facilitate whole  home networking and communications of set top boxes to its Direct Broadcast  Satellite (DBS) customer.
[Market Watch – 12/14/2011]

Astrium imagery from two TerrSAR-X StripMap acquisitions show large crack in  Pine Island glacier in Antartica; ice shelf ready to break off is larger than  New York City.
[SatNews –  12/14/2011]

Dish Network indicates desire to form strategic partnership with T-Mobile USA  if AT&T’s bid for acquisition of T-Mobile fails.
[Telegeography – 12/14/2011]

Arianespace signs for launch of two satellites in the European Union’s  Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 families on the first launch of Europe’s new light  launcher Vega from French Guiana in 2014-2016.
[SatNews –  12/14/2011]

O3b exercises additional launch option on Arianespace contract.
[Satellite Today – 12/13/2011]

Since SPOT Satellite Messenger products were introduced in 2007 over 1,500  emergency rescues have been initiated worldwide.
[Market Watch – 12/14/2011]

Amos 5 communications satellite launched for Israel’s Spacecom.
[Globes – 12/13/2011]

NewSat signs $67 million contract for Jabiru satellite capacity.
[ARN – 12/13/2011]

Emergency satellite communications platform developed by government of  Luxembourg to be available to international humanitarian community as of 1  January, 2012.
[IEWY  –  12/13/2011]

OnAir WiFi internet connectivity launched across the Emirates A380 fleet.
[SatNews –  12/13/2011]

Opinion – Why is FCC stonewalling Senator Grassley on LightSquared? –  (Grassley put holds on two Barack Obama nominees to FCC).
[Hot Air – 12/13/2011]

LightSquared ‘Outraged’ over Report Leak; Primary Backer Harbinger Faces SEC  Scrutiny.
[Wireless Week – 12/12/2011]

ViaSat subsidiary WildBlue begins offering 5 megabit-per-second satellite  broadband service in Colorado, using recently launched ViaSat-1 satellite.
[Denver Post –  12/12/2011]

Japan launches H-2A rocket carrying a radar satellite.
[SatNews –  12/12/2011]

TCS introduces portfolio of managed mobile communications services called  TotalCom for government agencies and businesses.
[Computer World – 12/12/2011]

Russian data relay satellite and Spacecom’s Amos 5 share a ride into space.
[Spaceflight Now –  12/11/2011]

Echo II:  When satellites were young and shiny (photo).
[CNET – 12/10/2011]

NATO facing fast-approaching deadline for replacing satellite communications  capacity to avoid “satcom blackouts.”
[Space News – 12/09/2011]

“Doing more without more” – Space Command looks to fill communication gaps as  budgets tighten yet requirements for secure communications continue to grow.
[National Defense Magazine – January 2011]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Intelsat moves closer to an Initial Public Offering (IPO), asking U.S.  regulators to allow the company to transfer control of all its satellite  assets to new owners following the IPO.
[Space News – 12/09/2011]

Telecom’s final frontier – is the consumer changing the satellite industry or  is it changing us?
[The Deal Magazine – 12/09/2011]

Spacecom AMOS-5 satellite scheduled for launch Sunday, December 11.
[SatNews –  12/09/2011]

NewSat Limited signs with Arianespace for launch of Jabiru-1 in second half  of 2014.
[SatNews –  12/09/2011]

ITU and Government of Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg agree to cooperate on  strengthening emergency telecommunications and rapid response in event of  natural disasters.
[SatNews –  12/09/2011]

GlobeCast expands satellite capaciy over Russia and Commonwealth of  Independent States with new Ku-band platform on Yamal-201 satellite.
[SatNews –  12/09/2011]

Nokia Siemens Networks’ I-HSPA combined with Evolution satellite routers from  VT iDirect can deliver downlinks speeds of 10 Mbps per user from remote base  stations linked to core network by  satellite.
[SatNews – 12/09/2011]

Astrium is selected by European Space Agency as prime contractor for  Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite, a low-cost mission to monitor atmospheric  chemistry.
[SatNews –  12/09/2011]

Russian space agency Roscosmos expects to put two more of the 24 Glonass  navigation satellites already in orbit into operation by end of year.
[SatNews –  12/09/2011]

RapidEye signs contract with China’s Ministry of Land and Resources to cover  almost five million square kilometers of China over the next few months.
[SatNews –  12/09/2011]

United Launch Alliance, formed just five years ago with Atlas and Delta  launch teams, has built an impressive record with 56 successful launches.
[SatNews –  12/08/2011]

LightSquared says new test prove it has fixed the GPS interference problem  that has held up the deployment of its hybrid satellite-terrestrial LTE network.
[Wireless Week – 12/08/2011]

Verizon ends its wireless LTE partnership with DirecTV and will stop buildout  of FiOS television and Internet services, as it forges a cross-marketing  partnership with cable.
[Washington Post – 12/08/2011]

Thrane & Thrane is awarded contract by government organization China  Transport Telecommunications & Information Center to supply, install and test a  Radio Access Network system for BGAN Satellite Access Station outside Beijing.
[SatNews –  12/08/2011]

Thales signs agreement to acquire Tampa Microwave of Tampa, Florida.
[Washington Technology – 12/08/2011]

Track24 wins contract to supply Canadian government with short burst data  (SBD) services from Iridium Communications Inc.
[SatNews –  12/08/2011]

Ghana a leader in satellite communications in Western Africa, with STL  satellite hub supporting over 2000 VSAT sites nationwide employing Gilat’s  SkyEdge II system.
[Ghanian Chronicle 12/08/2011]

SatNews information for readers interested in the myriad environments of the  various and ever-expanding satellite broadcasting market segments.
[SatNews –  12/08/2011]

ViaSat’s high-capacity broadband Ka-band satellite expected to begins  commercial service before end of December.
[xconomy – 12/07/2011]

Eutelsat successfully refinances debt with C800 million Eurobond issue.
[Sacramento Bee – 12/07/2011]

China to help Turkmenistan launch first communications satellite.
[Bernama –  12/07/2011]

New “Proceedings of the IEEE” presents comprehensive 21st century review of  Aerospace Communications.
[Sacramento Bee – 12/07/2011]

Thales radio receives U.S. military certification for Ultra High Frequency  satellite communications Integrated Waveform.
[UPI – 12/07/2011]

Newtec gets extremely positive customer feedback from customer survey  indicating a continued positive evolution from “satisfied” to “extremely  satisfied”.
[Screen Africa – 12/07/2011]

Eutelsat includes VISLINK’s ADVENT Flydrive 120 antenna in its guide to  selection of most appropriate Eath station equipment to access Eutelsat  capacity.
[SatNews – 12/07/2011]

Thuraya IP now allows user to run a range of applications requiring a public  IP address on the terminal equipment attached to the IP device.
[SatNews –  12/07/2011]

Iridium GEOS emergency response service now available to Iridium Extreme  satellite phone customers.
[SatNews –  12/07/2011]

NSR research on Earth Observation maket confirms importance of government  funding for both the supply and the demand side of the business.
[SatNews  – 12/07/2011]

Hughes Network Systems gets task order from U.S. Department of Agriculture’s  Food Safety and Inspection Service to deliver managed broadband services to 300  office and inspection sites.
[SatNews –  12/07/2011]

Eutelsat’s KA-SAT satellite proves its efficiency for fast video file  delivery.
[Sacramento Bee – 12/06/2011]

Arianespace launch preparations underway for December 16th liftoff of  Pleiades 1 Earth observation satellite, Chile’s SSOT optical satellite for  civilian and defense Earth observation, and four French Elisa micro-satellite  demonstrators.
[SatNews –  12/06/2011]

MTN to provide Costa Cruises’ new flagship, Costa Fascinosa, with VSAT  services.
[Satellite Today – 12/06/2011]

Test results prompt new round in GPS, LightSquared fight.
[Nextgov – 12/06/2011]

Former Satellite Earth Station at Goonhilly, Cornwall gets UK government  funding for a “space science park,” while another company at Goonhilly, Avanti  Communications Group, gets funding to create “broadband satellite teleport.”
[UKPA – 12/06/2011]

Reorganized Satmex to launch new, fully funded Satmex 8 satellite service  operations beginning in third quarter 2012.
[Market Watch – 12/06/2011]

Thuraya enjoys main exhibitor status at Malaysian Defense show.
[SatNews –  12/06/2011]

DISA puts finishing touches on GSM, FCSA contracts to be awarded in first  quarter 2012.
[Defense Systems – 12/06/2011]

iGT, DISA, and U.S. Air Force demonstrate next-generation airborne  capabilities employing Ka-Band Advanced Multiband Communications Antenna System  for COTM users.
[Defence Professionals – 12/06/2011]

Inmarsat’s CTO to participate as panel speaker at Satellite Industry  Association sponsored DoD Commercial SATCOM User’s Workshop in Arlington, VA.
[Sacramento Bee – 12/06/2011]

Officials say troop drawdown in Iraq and Afghanistan is unlikely to put any  lasting downward pressure on demand for satellite bandwidth.
[Space News – 12/02/2011]

New satellite terminal training, fielding facility for U.S. Army to  consolidate production, training, and fielding of the advanced version of its  protected satellite terminal.
[Fort Gordon Signal – 12/02/2011]

NSR report assesses future global demand and supply for both commercial and  military satellites, fixed and mobile solutions, and narrowband to broadband  requirements for the period 2010-2020.
[NSR – December 2011]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Latest satellite launched by China is 16th of the year, a record for  China, and is fifth BeiDou-2 inclined GSO satellite of the BeiDou-2 Compass  satellite navigation system.
[SatNews  – 12/02/2011]

Astrium’s Ariane 5 Midlife Evolution launcher project approved by European  Space Agency.
[Satellite Today – 12/02/2011]

Norway and Spain expected to order military communications satellite.
[Space News – 12/01/2011]

Solaris Mobile gains ITU backing.
[Satellite Today – 12/01/2011]

Eutelsat will be unifying the names of its satellites around the established  Eutelsat brand from 1 March 2012.
[Sacramento Bee – 12/01/2011]

TIPS/TAPS purchasing consortium selects Foundation Telecommunications Inc. to  provide broadband Internet and VoIP services to member educational entities and  government agencies.
[Market Watch – 12/01/2011]

ATK’s new STAR 48BV rocket motor with innovative vectorable nozzle  successfully inserts TacSat-4 into orbit.
[SatNews –  12/01/2011]

Telemar, in partnership with ORBIT and Milano Teleport, launch iCGlobal, to  deliver global C-band coverage  with compact all-weather OrBand maritime  VSAT system.
[Market Watch – 12/01/2011]

NASA’s successful test of solar sail on NanoSail-D satellite demonstrates  deorbit capability that could potentially be used to bring down de-commissioned  satellites.
[SatNews –  12/01/2011]

Telenor Satellite Broadcasting’s latest satellite, THOR 7, will provide  Norwegian Troll base at South Pole with increased satellite capacity.
[SatNews –  12/01/2011]

Briefcase-sized SATPAK cellular and satellite data relay system by 308  SYSTEMS solves blocked transmission problem during Arizona Vigilant Guard  exercise involving 250 government agencies and 8,000 participants.
[SatNews –  12/01/2011]

Canada’s Department of National Defence waits for Dec. 15 deadline for five  nations to join the U.S.-let Wideband Global Satcom military communications  system before commiting more than $450 million to the project.
[Space News – 11/30/2011]

MDA wins NASA contracts for International Space Station extension.
[Satellite Today – 11/30/2011]

Boeing gets contract extension from NASA for TDRS M, the sixth satellite in  TDRS line that it is building for NASA.
[Daily Breeze –  11/30/2011]

Nigeria hopes to domesticate Information and Communications Technology with  the launch of NigComSat-1R, creating huge job opportunities and improving health  and education in the country.
[Vanguard – 11/30/2011]

Astrium Services and Thales Alenia Space achieve Initial System Acceptance  milestone for first Yahsat site in Abu Dhabi, as well as TT&C facility in Al Ain  City.
[SatNews  – 11/30/2011]

Hermes Datacomms completes installation of multi-site 4 mbps C-band SkyWire  cloud for major oilfield services company in Libya.
[Satellite Today – 11/30/2011]

Gilat introduces very lightweight Ku-band broadband solution for airborne  applications.
[Market Watch – 11/30/2011]

Petaluma, CA firm X2nSat on growth track to provide Internet access in some  of North America’s most remote locations.
[Press Democrat – 11/30/2011]

Globalstar announces December 25 launch date for six new second-generation  satellites.
[Globe  Newswire – 11/29/2011]

Quick look at supply numbers seems to indicate that previously hot satellite  market in Sub-Saharan Africa may become oversupply fiasco for the FSS industry.
[NSR – 11/29/2011]

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions partners with AlienVault to enhance cyber  security and situational awareness in satellite communications.
[Market Watch – 11/29/2011]

Inmarsat GX partners with Gogo to bring Inmarsat’s Global Xpress satellite  service to the worldwide commercial airline market.
[Market Watch – 11/29/2011]

ORBIT Communication Systems to showcase Maritime VSAT Satellite  Communications systems product line at Marintec China 2011.
[benzinga – 11/29/2011]

Global Marine Networks launches RedPort satellite broadband network  management solution suite.
[SFGate – 11/29/2011]

Recent flight tests at Hanscom Air Force Base show that low-profile Advanced  Multi-band Communications Antenna installed on wide-body aircraft can  effectively support high-speed Ka-band and EHF communications.
[Air Force Materiel  Command – 11/29/2011]

Frost & Sullivan award honours Yahsat for exceptional penetration of Middle  East Defence market.
[Mil-Tech – 11/29/2011]

UltiSat is awarded GSA IT Schedule 70 contract, and inclusion on IT Schedule  70.
[Sat PR – 11/29/2011]

AsiaSat 7 is launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
[SatNews –  11/27/2011]

Chinese communications satellite successfully enters orbit, launched by  Russian rocket from Kazakhstan.
[Red Orbit – 11/27/2011]

Solar storms projected to increase through 2013.
[KOLD – 11/27/2011]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Northrop Grumman testbed creates significant efficiencies for Air Force’s  Defense Weather Satellite System program.
[Terra Daily – 11/24/2011]

ViaSat UK launches range of high-capacity satellite-based products  designed for use by the UK military and government.
[Tech World – 11/24/2011]

Raytheon tests its Army Secure Mobile Anti-Jam Reliable Tactile Terminal  with the on-orbit Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite, becoming  first company to test the satellite.
[emoney daily – 11/24/2011]

Taiwan wins European Satellite Navigation Competition for creative  Geo-coupon App based on Global Navigation Satellite System.
[Market Watch – 11/23/2011]

KVH honored with two awards for the small size, fast data rates, and  affordable service of the 14.5″ TracPhone V3 maritime terminal  operating on its global miniVSAT system.
[Market Watch –  11/23/2011]

ViaSat UK expands beyond traditional secure storage device market,  offering satellite broadband for businesses and government departments.
[V3.co.uk – 11/23/2011]

Globalstar contracts Thales Alenia Space to develop software patch to be sent  to Globalstar satellites to overcome momentum-wheel failures that have taken one  satellite out of service and threaten others.
[Space News – 11/23/2011]

Iridium offers iOS app AxcessPoint Mail & Web App to bring satellite  connectivity to iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
[Slash Gear – 11/23/2011]

Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited plans launch of replacement  satellite NigComSat-1R on December 19.
[all Africa –  11/23/2011]

ULA successfully completes second milestone toward certification of Atlas V  launch vehicle for human spaceflight.
[SatNews –  11/22/2011]

Gilat is selected by leading Latin American operator for delivery of full  scale SkyEdge II network for national post office program.
[SatNews –  11/22/2011]

SatCom Global announces point of presence in Sydney, Australia allowing its  customers to terminate Inmarsat BGAN and FleetBroadband IP traffic locally,  reducing latency and cost.
[SatNews –  11/22/2011]

Four-year partnership with ESA allows Air France passengers to see satellite  photos of landscape below the aircraft.
[SatNews –  11/22/2011]

Due to popular demand, Pactel International to continue the just concluded  2011 series of satellite communication seminars in 2012.
[SatNews –  11/22/2011]

BGP of China names Marlink as supplier of high quality and high capacity VSAT  satellite communications for its fleet of advanced seismic vessels.
[SatNews –  11/22/2011]

U.S. Committee report on China urges satellite preparation for potential  cyber attack from China and prepare for situations where U.S. space satellites  are partially or completely destroyed.
[Satellite Today – 11/22/2011]

U.S. satellite hacking case a mystery; satellite services firm running ground  station says there’s no evidence of any attack against its systems; commander of  U.S. military space operations says insufficient evidence makes it impossible to  confidently attribute blame over possible attempts to take over satellites.
[The  Register – 11/21/2011]

China places two more satellites into orbit, Chuangxin 1-03 and Shiyan  Satellite 4, via Long March 2D carrier rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch  Center.
[SatNews – 11/21/2011]

SES-4 satellite, built by Spaced Systems/Loral for SES, arrives at Baikonur  launch base – will be 50th and largest satellite in global SES fleet.
[Business Wire – 11/21/2011]

AsiaSat7 satellite set for launch on November 27th.
[Media Mughals – 11/21/2011]

Head of Iranian Space Agency states that it is ready to set up national  satellite launch base in the country’s southeastern region.
[SatNews –  11/21/2011]

Thales Alenia to build Turkmenistan’s first satellite to be launched in 2014  into orbital slot controlled by government of Monaco.
[Space News – 11/21/2011]

U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in appeal challenging use of GPS data in  conviction of drug dealer.
[SatNews –  11/21/2011]

Decision by Canadian Conservative government to spend nearly half a billion  dollars on construction of U.S. military satellite sparks concerns about secrecy  surrounding project and who will ultimately control information it transmits.
[Montreal Gazette – 11/21/2011]

All systems go for NASA’s third generation upgrade (TDRS-K) of the  orbiting TDRS satellite network communications network.
[PHYSORG –  11/21/2011]

U.S. Geological Survey has stopped acquiring images from 27-year-old Landsat  5 (designed to last three years) due to rapidly degrading electronic component.
[Satnews –  11/21/2011]

Harris Corporation completes preliminary design review for synthetic aperture  radar payload on modular space vehicle.
[Market Watch – 11/21/2011]

U.S.A.F. Los Angeles AFB gets upgrade addressing telemetry, tracking, and  control for all Air Force communication satellite constellations.
[SatNews –  11/21/2011]

Avanti Communications welcomes two new service provider customers – Antech  S.p.A in Italy, and BriteYellow Ltd in the U.K., while NASSAT of Spain extends  commitment to Avanti.
[SatNews –  11/21/2011]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services