News Analysis

Singapore Technologies to Acquire Newtec for US$ 281 Million

Singapore, March 27, 2019 — Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd today announced that its subsidiary, Singapore Technologies Engineering (Europe) Ltd, has entered into a conditional share purchase agreement to acquire a 100% ownership in Newtec Group NV, an established Belgium-based company in the satellite communications industry.

C-Com Revenues Rise by 31.6% to US$10 Million, Operating Profit Increases 96% to US$2.18-M

Ottawa, Canada, March 26, 2019 —  C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. (TSXV: CMI) announced today it generated revenues of US$10.1 million (Ca$13,527,368) and a net after tax profit of US$1.72 million (Ca$2,299,501) or US 4.48 cents (6 Ca. cents per share). This compared with revenues of US$7.68 (Ca$10,282,319) and a net after tax profit of US$0.77 million (Ca$1,035,744) or US 2.24 cents (Ca. 3 cents per share) as reported in 2017, representing an increase of 31.6% and 122.0% respectively.

JV Company Triton Bidco Acquires Inmarsat for US$3.4 Billion

London, UK, March 25, 2019 — The boards of Inmarsat and Triton Bidco announced today that they have reached agreement for a US$3.4 billion in cash takeover by Triton Bidco of Inmarsat.

Vertice 360 Acquires M-Three Satcom

Madrid, Spain, March 12, 2019 – Vertice 360, the Spanish media company owned by Squirrel Capital, is set to acquire M-Three Satcom, the Italian based teleport operator founded in 2004 and acquired by Giglio Group in 2015.

Mobility for the Masses

by Andrew Faiola

Communications are undergoing a complete transition from what we know as the norm, towards a somewhat unknown reality, where anything and everything will eventually be connected. Of course, this is no easy feat for established networks built on fixed, tried and tested infrastructure and as new applications such as the Internet of Things (IoT), continues to advance and connected objects become commonplace, universal high-capacity, high-speed connectivity will become a necessity, anywhere and everywhere. Consequently, the role of satellite will play a growing role, delivering seamless, high-bandwidth broadband services to once unimaginable locations, including out at sea and in the sky.

It’s the Weak Link That Breaks the Chain

by Robert Bell

New York City, NY, March 4, 2019--Once upon a time, a large teleport operator was hit by a major power outage.  Uninterruptible power supplies immediately kicked in and the NOC staff waited for the generator to start.  Nothing happened.  So, they switched to the backup generator.  Still nothing.  Work crews rushed to trouble-shoot the generator failures while the countdown timer on the UPS batteries ticked downward…and downward…and still downward.  Just minutes from total loss of power, the work crews got one of the generators started and customers suffered no loss of service.  
That did not stop the operator for buying two more generators to serve as triple and quadruple backups. 

The Next Wave: Low Earth Orbit Constellations

by Bernardo Schneiderman

Los Angeles, Calif., March 4, 2019--Since 2016, the FCC had approved satellite constellations for new Non-geostationary Orbit (NGSO) Systems and the latest ones given green light were Spacex, Telesat, Keppler, and Leosat in November 2018 authorizing nearly 8,000 small telecom satellites to serve U.S. entities from Low Earth Orbit allowing global coverage.

Middle East Satellite Market Update

by Elizabeth Tweedie

Dubai, UAE, March 4, 2019--In common with the rest of the world, the market for traditional satellite services in the Middle East and Africa is facing challenges, from terrestrial competitors, new space competitors and shifting consumer taste. Nevertheless, all of the operators interviewed for this article, remain very upbeat about the prospects for their services in this region.

Telesat Posts US$140.64 Million 4th Quarter Loss; Ends 2018 With US$68.44 Million Loss

Ottawa, Canada, March 1, 2019 — Telesat Canada reported today consolidated revenues of US$174.48 million (Ca$232 million) for the 4th quarter ending December 31, 2018, a decrease of 8% US$15.79 million (Ca$21 million) compared to the same period in 2017. When adjusted for the impact of foreign exchange rate changes, the revenue decreased by 9% or US$16.55 million (Ca$22 million) compared to the same period in 2017.