News Analysis

Thomson Broadcast Signs Agreement to Acquire GatesAir

Cincinnati, OH, April 23, 2022 GatesAir a provider of  wireless, over-the-air content delivery solutions for radio and TV, today announced that Thomson Broadcast has signed a definitive agreement to acquire GatesAir from an affiliate of The Gores Group. The transaction is subject to certain regulatory filings and is expected to close in the second half of 2022. Details of the transaction were not disclosed.

NSR’s Aero Satcom Report Sees Recovering IFC Market Generating US$ 48 Billion through Decade

Cambridge, Mass., April 4, 2022-In its 10th year, NSR’s Aeronautical Satcom Markets (AERO10) report finds a US$ 48 billion+ cumulative revenue opportunity through the decade for both service providers and equipment vendors. Driven by accelerated installation of terminals on narrow-body aircraft and the rapid return of domestic travel, the IFC market sits positioned for recovery ahead of a rebound in aviation traffic.  

Satellites and St. Michael the Archangel Providing Coverage in Ukraine

by Lou Zacharilla

April 1, 2022, New York City, NY--I am gonna take a wild guess and say that Putin never read Cicero. However, as a trained intelligence officer I am sure that he came across a quote of General Sun Tzu, who stated that “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”  The supreme art may have eluded Russia’s political leadership. It has not eluded the satellite community.

The Broadcast Market for Satellite Services

by Elisabeth Tweedie

Los Angeles, Calif., April 1, 2022--History was made at the Oscars last month, and I’m not referring to slap heard around the world. The movie CODA took the Oscar for best picture.  This is the first time a movie from a streaming service has been awarded that accolade.  Not only was this movie from a streaming service, it was from Apple, a relatively new entrant and one of the smaller streaming platforms with only 19 Million global subscribers.  Doubtless this win will help spur subscriber growth.  

HISPASAT to Acquire AXESS Networks

Madrid. Spain, March 21, 2022--HISPASAT, the Spanish operator and satellite solutions and services provider owned by the Red Eléctrica Group, has reached an agreement to acquire the company AXESS Networks, a  teleport operator and satellite services provider with a presence in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.  

Comtech Announces Results for its 2Q of Fiscal 2022 and Updates 2022 Financial Targets

Melville, NY, March 10,2022--Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (NASDAQ: CMTL) today announced its second quarter fiscal 2022 financial results and updated its fiscal 2022 financial targets. Comtech announced results and updated financial targets in a new investment letter format that it intends to use for quarterly communications. Here's a link to the letter: https://www.comtechtel.com/static-files/ae9ebe0c-104d-4eb9-ab75-fe974e853c17

SPACs: Game Changer or Passing Fad?

by Elisabeth Tweedie

Los Angeles, Calif., March 5, 2022--The satellite industry is no stranger to mergers and acquisitions, nor to new entrants. The last few years in particular have seen numerous startups enter the industry, indeed that is how the term “new space” originated. Suddenly the industry was no longer the sole domain of large well-established companies, advances in technology meant that the barriers to entry were rapidly being eroded.

Kacific: A Unique Business Model that Combines Commercial Success with Meeting Sustainable Development Goals

by Virgil Labrador, Editor-in-Chief

Since the first commercial satellites were launched nearly sixty years ago, the potential for connecting the world’s population, especially those in remote, inaccessible areas, has always been touted as one of the key benefits of satellite technology.  With the growth of the internet and the development of satellites that can deliver highly reliable broadband services, it is widely recognized that satellites can play a key role in bridging the digital divide and making a substantial impact on meeting social development goals.