DirecTV increased its first quarter 2013 revenues by 8 percent to $7.58 billion beating analysts expectations, although net income was down $690 million or $1.20 per share compared to $731 million or $1.07 per share a year ago.

The satellite TV provider added 604,000 net subscribers in the first quarter with its Latin America division adding 583,000 surpassing 16 million total subscribers, extending the company’s lead as the largest pay-TV provider in the region.

India has renewed calls to attract foreign investments to upgrade its industries to world standards. But attracting greater capital from abroad will not be easy as unclear rules, corruption, and bribery remain a fixture in the Indian business and politics. This is especially true for telecom, broadcasting and ICT investor companies who have done business in the Asian subcontinent during the last half decade.

CASBAA’s annual Satellite Industry Forum will take place on June 17, 2013 at the Shangri-La, Singapore. The Association’s comprehensive forum on the thriving satellite market in the Asia-Pacific will examine An Industry in Transition this year, highlighting key issues top-of-mind with stakeholders in the region.

SPACE TECH EXPO 2013, (www.spacetechexpo.com)  the West Coast’s major space industry gathering and one of the largest events of its type in the world, brings together global decision makers involved in the design, build, and testing of spacecraft, satellite, launch vehicle, and space-related technologies.

GVF’s recent Rio de Janeiro conference, Oil & Gas Communications Brazil 2013: Big Oil, the Deep-Water Ocean Expanse, and Big Data was lauded as a great success by attendees, speakers, and sponsors alike; a very satisfactory precursor to both the next event in the GVF-EMP Oil & Gas Communications Conference Series, and, indeed, to the GVF High Throughput Satellite (HTS) Roundtable.

Telesat Holdings Inc.’s first-quarter revenues increased by 12 percent year-over-year to US$217 million (CAD 219 million) while EBITDA increased 12 percent to US$ 168 million (CAD 170 million).

Telesat said revenue growth was principally the result of the successful deployment of the Nimiq 6 satellite in the second quarter of 2012 and higher equipment sales.

Operating expenses of US$49.6 million (CAD50 million) were 40% US$32.7 (CAD33 million) lower than for the same period in 2012. The adjusted EBITDA margin was unchanged at 78 percent. 

CASBAA returns to Thailand to host an in depth forum examining the multichannel TV industry in the country with Thailand in View 2013, 30 May at Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld.

Iridium Communications Inc. on Friday reported a net income of $14.9 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2013 compared to $12.4 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2012. Operational EBITDA for the first quarter was $46.8 million compared to $43.9 million for the prior-year period, representing year-over-year growth of 7 percent and an OEBITDA margin of 53 percent.

The GVF High Throughput Satellite Roundtable – High Throughput Ka, Ku and C band Satellite Communications: On Planes, Trains, Ships,… in Cities, Villages and Living Rooms will take place at the Renaissance Downtown Hotel, Washington DC on May 21 & 22, 2013.

The 18th event in the Oil & Gas Communications Series, and the 6th for the European hydrocarbons industry communications environment, Oil & Gas Communications Europe 2013: North & Northwest – The North Sea, The Arctic Ocean & The Atlantic Margin, will take place at the Marriott Hotel, Dyce, Aberdeen on 14th & 15th May 2013.