ITV

Category: Satellites

  • Intelsat names Naren Mansharamani as VP – financial planning & analysis

    Intelsat names Naren Mansharamani as VP – financial planning & analysis

    MUMBAI: Intelsat S.A. has appointed Naren Mansharamani as vice president of financial planning & analysis (FP&A).

     

    In his role, Mansharamani will lead Intelsat’s FP&A and Corporate Development team in further enhancing and sustaining a strong analytic framework that will bridge strategy and operations with finance and accounting to support the company’s business objectives. He will be based in McLean, VA and report to Intelsat CEO and interim CFO Stephen Spengler.

     

    Mansharamani joins Intelsat from SABIC Innovative Plastics formerly known as General Electric (GE) Plastics where he served as director of the Americas. In his role, he was responsible for the overseeing the overall financial performance of the company’s $3 billion Americas division. He also held the role of director of finance & pricing for the company’s $2 billion Global Automotive division. Overall Mansharamani spent 18 years with various business divisions in GE where he held increasing roles of responsibility in GE Plastics, GE Silicones, GE Healthcare and GE Capital. Prior to joining GE, he worked with Ernst & Young for three years.

     

    Mansharamani holds a B.Com from Delhi University and is a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Accountant.

  • MEASAT names Prashant Butani as senior sales director – S. Asia

    MEASAT names Prashant Butani as senior sales director – S. Asia

    MUMBAI: MEASAT Satellite Systems (MEASAT) has named Prashant Butani as senior sales director – South Asia.

     

    In his new role, Bhutani will be responsible for building and supporting MEASAT’s customer base and managing government agencies across the South Asian region.

     

    Prior to joining MEASAT, Bhutani was a senior analyst in a leading satellite industry research company and regional head for a multinational telecommunications services company.

     

    With an experience of 10 years in the satellite and telecommunications industry, Bhutani holds a Master of Sciences in Satellite Communications Engineering from the University of Surrey, United Kingdom and a Degree in Engineering from the University of Mumbai, India.

  • Arianespace to launch Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38 telecom satellites in 2017

    Arianespace to launch Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38 telecom satellites in 2017

    MUMBAI: Azercosmos and Intelsat have chosen Arianespace to launch the Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38 telecommunication satellite. The satellite will be launched by an Ariane 5 launch vehicle from the Guiana Space Center, located in Kourou, French Guiana.

     

    Expected to launch in 2017, Azerspace-2 will be Azercosmos’ second telecommunications satellite, and will expand on the current capacity of Azerspace-1. It will support growing demand for Direct-to-Home (DTH), government, and network services in Europe, Central and South Asia, the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa.

     

    “Arianespace is honored to continue its longstanding partnership with Intelsat and be selected again by Azercosmos for the launch of its second satellite, following the success of Azerspace/Africasat-1A on 7 February, 2013. This contract will give us the opportunity to implement a tailor made launch solution that complies with both Azercosmos and Intelsat requirements, hence demonstrating our capability to address the needs of both regional and global satellite operators worldwide,” said Arianespace chairman and CEO Stéphane Israël.

     

    For Intelsat, the satellite will provide continuity of service for the Intelsat 12 satellite currently stationed at 45 degrees East, an orbital location which hosts DTH platforms for Central and Eastern Europe as well as the Asia-Pacific region. Intelsat 38 will also provide connectivity for corporate networks and government applications in Africa.

     

    “This new satellite will provide Azercosmos with additional capacity for the increasing demand in the region, and will allow us to continue to bring the best service to our customers. We are pleased to collaborate with two world leaders in the satellite industry,” said Azercosmos chairman and CEO Rashad Nabiyev.

     
    Intelsat EVP and chief technology officer Thierry Guillemin added, “In today’s competitive environment, fast and reliable access to space is an absolute imperative. Arianespace has a long and proven track record of executing against its launch manifest and we look forward to partnering with them once again to ensure the reliable delivery of the Azercosmos 2/Intelsat 38 satellite into orbit in 2017.”

     

    Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38 will be designed and built by Space Systems/Loral. The satellite design is based on the highly reliable 1300 satellite platform that provides the flexibility for a broad range of applications and technology advances.

  • Arianespace launches GSAT-15 successfully

    Arianespace launches GSAT-15 successfully

    MUMBAI: At 3:04 this morning, Arianespace’s A5 rocket blasted off from its launch pad in Kouru, French Guiana with its payload of two satellites Arabsat 6B (BADR7) and GSAT-15. The former found its slot in space 27 minutes later, while the latter attained its Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) 43 minutes after launch.  It was a flawless launch on a perfect evening, said officials from ISRO and Arianespace.

     

    India’s satellite control centre at Hasan in Karnataka is in control of the satellite  at the time of writing and maneuvres over the next three days will see it attaining its geo-stationary orbit at 93.5 degrees East. It will be replacing two ageing satellites Insat3A and Insat 4B.

     

    GSAT-15 has 24 Ku-band transponders to serve the needs of DTH and satellite TV operators over India as well as  VSAT operators who provide DSNG operations to news channels. It  also carries the  GPS-Aided GEO Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) payload operating in L1 and L5 bands,  to enable communications for civil aviation and other location-based services.

     

    Speaking from Kouru ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) Director M Annadurai said two other  communication satellites GSAT-17 and GSAT-18 are getting ready for launch by an Ariane vehicle in the next year. “The realisation of both the satellites is in a very advanced stage,” he said.

     

  • ISRO’s GSAT-15 launch on 11 November; DTH to benefit

    ISRO’s GSAT-15 launch on 11 November; DTH to benefit

    NEW DELHI: Even as Indians are celebrating the festival of lights, a new bird  from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to be blasted off into geostationary orbit come early 11 November from Kouro in French Guiana.  The satellite GSAT-15 – with its 24 Ku-band transponders – is going to provide a lifeline to India’s DTH television operators.

     

    It is currently waiting at the launch pad as a payload of an Ariane 5 Rocket  – launch firm Arianespace’s trusted launcher – in launch complex No 3 in Kouru. The satellite cost – including the launch fee – is at Rs 860 crore.

     

    The GSAT-15 will replace two older birds – INSAT-3A and INSAT-4B – both are which are at the fag end of their lives. INSAT 3A will expire in November while 4b will cease functioning later next year.

     

    Most of the transponder capacity on these two satellites is being utilized by Prasar Bharati’s DD and  DTH operators FreeDish and  Sun Direct, according to satellite TV tracker Lyngsat.

     

    GSAT-15 will thus see these services being shifted to its transponders, which will also serve the needs of VSAT operators who offer Digital satellite news gathering operations to India’s news channels. It will also be carrying as a GPS-Aided GEO Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) payload operating in L1 and L5 bands as  a backup service for airlines and other users of augmented GPS-based system.  According to ISRO, it has a design life of 12 years and its weight will be 3,164 kg at lift-off

     

    The Ariane-5 VA-227 launch vehicle, which will launch GSAT 15, will also carry Arabsat-6B for Arabsat, Saudi Arabia. Arabsat-6B, to be renamed BADR-7 once in orbit, will be the ninth satellite orbited by Arianespace for use by the operator Arabsat, based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is the initial sixth-generation satellite for Arabsat’s fleet, providing broadcast, broadband and telecommunications services over the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia.

     

    The Ariane 5 mission will have a total payload lift performance of 9,810 kg, Arianespace said. This includes the two satellites’ mass at liftoff – 5,798 kg for Arabsat-6B and 3,164 kg for GSAT-15 – along with launcher integration hardware and Ariane 5’s dual-passenger deployment system, it added.

     

    The launch is planned to take place during a launch window of 21:34 and 22:17 pm coordinated universal time (around 03:04 am IST).

     

    Interested viewers can watch it live on http://www.arianespace.tv.

  • Intelsat, JSAT form JV to launch new satellite for APAC

    Intelsat, JSAT form JV to launch new satellite for APAC

    MUMBAI: Intelsat S.A. and Sky Perfect JSAT Corporation have signed an agreement to form a joint venture that will launch a new satellite with optimised C-band and high throughput Ku-band capacity to satisfy the growing mobility and broadband connectivity demands in the Asia-Pacific region.

     

    To be known as Horizons 3e, the satellite is based on the Intelsat EpicNG high throughput design which, upon launch, will complete the global footprint of the Intelsat EpicNG next generation platform. The satellite will be stationed at the 169 degrees East orbital location with a launch expected in the second half of 2018.

     

    Building upon a successful alliance between the two operators, the Horizons 3e satellite marks the fourth satellite to be owned jointly by JSAT and Intelsat, following Horizons-1 (launched in 2003); Horizons-2 (launched in 2007) and Intelsat 15/JCSAT-85 (launched in 2009).

     

    With the most advanced digital payload on a commercial satellite, bandwidth flexibility and power portability, Horizons 3e will bring high performance, improved economics and simple access to the aeronautical and maritime mobility, cellular backhaul, corporate enterprise and government customers operating in the region.

     

    “Today marks another milestone in our long history of collaboration with JSAT. With Horizons 3e, we will introduce the Intelsat EpicNG platform to the Asia-Pacific region, completing our global high throughput footprint and enhancing our IntelsatOne Flex service platform. The scalability, power and flexibility of Intelsat EpicNG will provide commercial and governmental aeronautical and maritime services with unprecedented seamless, contiguous broadband coverage over the most widely trafficked routes from the Atlantic to the Pacific.  In addition, the higher performance and improved economics of Intelsat EpicNG will enable fixed and mobile network operators to expand their networks and provide much needed broadband connectivity to the more remote communities of the region,” said Intelsat CEO Stephen Spengler.

     

    JSAT president and CEO Shinji Takada added, “Horizons 3e is a significant project for both Intelsat and JSAT. This new state-of-art satellite will lead to the expansion of our next generation business in the Asia and Pacific region utilising the HTS technology. Satellite communications demands for the region will definitely continue to grow and the project is essential for us to uptake of the growth demand for the region.”

     

    The formation of the JSAT/Intelsat venture features equal ownership of the satellite, which will be constructed over a 2.5 year period.  Given the business construct, the program will not be considered part of Intelsat’s capital expenditure program

  • Indonesia’s GPS to deliver 14 TV channels in APAC via AsiaSat 4

    Indonesia’s GPS to deliver 14 TV channels in APAC via AsiaSat 4

    MUMBAI: Indonesian system integrator for TV stations PT. Graha Pratama Sejahtera (GPS) has chosen Asia Satellite Telecommunications to launch a bouquet of 14 television channels on AsiaSat 4 at 122oE.

     

    The services, uplinked by GPS’s facilities in Jakarta, are distributed via AsiaSat 4 in C-band to satellite TV operators in Indonesia. With these new services, AsiaSat 4 has significantly expanded its television offerings to viewers across the country. These include general entertainment, news, music, lifestyle, wildlife, adventure and science programmes, broadcast in Indonesian, Hindi, English and Arabic languages.

     

    “We are excited that we have further expanded our transmission services to the broadcast community with AsiaSat’s excellent capacity. AsiaSat 4 is a high performance satellite with exceptionally high power and superior look angle. It is an ideal platform to support our country- wide television distribution services. We look forward to expanding our collaboration with AsiaSat in the future,” said PT. Graha Pratama Sejahtera director Liauw Ing Hauw.

     

    “We are pleased that PT. Graha Pratama Sejahtera chose AsiaSat as its prime satellite platform for television distribution services in Indonesia. This is an exciting development of AsiaSat 4’s service expansion for the TV sector in Asia. We will continue our efforts to grow the neighbourhood of AsiaSat 4, from digital TV to HD and Ultra-HD, to meet the growing demand for diverse and high quality television services in Asia,” added AsiaSat vice president, sales and business development Philip Balaam.

  • AsiaSat launches UHD FTA channel 4K-SAT for APAC

    AsiaSat launches UHD FTA channel 4K-SAT for APAC

    MUMBAI: Satellite operator Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (AsiaSat) launched its first Ultra-HD (UHD) television channel 4K-SAT at 122°E on AsiaSat 4, marking a new era for AsiaSat’s satellite broadcasting services in the region.

     

    This new UHD channel will be available free-to-air (FTA) across more than 50 countries and regions within AsiaSat 4’s enormous footprint, spanning from New Zealand to Pakistan and part of the Middle East. Asian TV operators and home viewers with an AsiaSat 4 C-band antenna and a HEVC set top box will be able to receive the UHD channel directly.

     

    The new 4K-SAT channel broadcasts full UHD produced videos featuring fashion, lifestyle and documentaries from content partners including Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, FashionTV and Rohde & Schwarz.

     

    The UHD content from FashionTV includes major fashion shows from all over the world as well as features highlighting the latest in beauty and lifestyle trends, all delivered to Asian viewers in crystal clear, realistic and ultra-high definition. FashionTV, the global multimedia network in fashion and lifestyle content, also broadcasts its HD and SD channels on AsiaSat 5 and AsiaSat 7 in the Asia-Pacific.

     

    “We are delighted to be at the forefront of next generation broadcasting technology, bringing to Asian viewers true UHD content. We look forward to working closely with our content and technology partners to drive UHD audience penetration in Asia,” said AsiaSat vice president, marketing and global accounts Sabrina Cubbon.

     

    “The launch of this UHD channel on our new AsiaSat 4 UHD broadcast platform provides an opportunity for all stakeholders to experience and promote UHD content in Asia. This reaffirms our commitment to promoting leading edge technologies for the broadcast community. We shall continue to focus on compelling UHD content to enhance the quality of the television viewing experience,” Cubbon added.

     

    The 4K-SAT channel encoded in HEVC, is broadcasting at 50 frames per second (fps) with 10- bit colour depth. Besides offering 3840 x 2160 pixels resolution, four times the resolution of the full HDTV, the UHD specification also means a richer color palette, with more saturated colours and fine colour gradations. The superior quality of UHD broadcasting will deliver to consumers much better quality and more realistic picture and sound, offering an immersive viewing experience, particularly for sporting events and action movies.

     

    AsiaSat will be showcasing this new 4K-SAT channel at the CASBAA Convention in Hong Kong on 27 and 28 October.

  • SSL to provide satellite for Azercosmos, Intelsat partnership

    SSL to provide satellite for Azercosmos, Intelsat partnership

    MUMBAI: Space Systems/Loral (SSL), which is a provider of commercial satellites, is selected to provide a communications satellite to Azercosmos, the national satellite operator of Azerbaijan.

     

    Under the strategic agreement with Intelsat, the satellite will be located at the 45 degrees east orbital location where it will provide service in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

     

    “SSL has a long history of partnering with satellite operators. We look forward to supporting Azercosmos in its collaborative project with Intelsat by building the spacecraft that will help both Azercosmos and Intelsat meet their growth objectives,” said SSL president John Celli.

     

    Azerspace-2 will be Azercosmos’ second telecommunications satellite, and will expand on the current capacity of Azerspace-1. It will support growing demand for DTH, government, and network services in Europe, Central and South Asia, the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa. 

     

    For Intelsat, the satellite will provide continuity of service for the Intelsat 12 satellite currently stationed at 45 degrees East, an orbital location which hosts DTH platforms for Central and Eastern Europe as well as the Asia-Pacific region. Intelsat 38 will also provide connectivity for corporate networks and government applications in Africa. Intelsat 12 was also built by SSL and launched in 2000.

     

    “This new satellite will provide Azercosmos with additional capacity for the increasing demand in the region, and will allow us to continue to bring the best service to our customers. We are pleased to collaborate with two world leaders in the satellite industry,” added Azercosmos chairman and CEO Rashad Nabiyev.

     

    “Intelsat 38 is an example of the collaboration taking place across the satellite industry today. Our partnership with Azercosmos and SSL will enable us to meet the content distribution demands of viewers in Central Europe and Asia and provide corporate networks in Africa with the broadband connectivity they need to build and expand their businesses,” said Intelsat EVP and chief technical officer Thierry Guillemin.

     

    The satellite Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38, will be designed and built by SSL, a US company based in Palo Alto, California, and owned by MDA. As part of the agreement, MDA will provide knowledge transfer cooperation related to radar Earth observation directly to Azercosmos. The satellite design is based on the highly reliable SSL 1300 satellite platform that provides the flexibility for a broad range of applications and technology advances. It is scheduled for launch in 2017.

  • Intelsat CFO Michael McDonnell resigns; to join Quintiles

    Intelsat CFO Michael McDonnell resigns; to join Quintiles

    MUMBAI: Intelsat S.A. chief financial officer (CFO) Michael McDonnell has resigned from the company.

     

    McDonnell is slated to leave mid-December 2015 and will join as executive vice president and CFO at Quintiles, which is a provider of product development and integrated healthcare services.

     

    Intelsat has commenced the process of an external search for a successor CFO.

     

    Intelsat CEO Stephen Spengler said, “Mike successfully led a number of strategic initiatives during his tenure at Intelsat, including our Initial Public Offering in April 2013 and the major reorganisation of our capital structure in 2011. We thank him for his contributions to Intelsat over the past seven years, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

     

    At Intelsat, McDonnell served as CFO since 2008. Previously, he held CFO positions at MCG Capital Corporation and EchoStar Communications (formerly known as DISH Network Corporation). Earlier in his career, he was a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP. McDonnell also served as a member of the board of directors of Catalyst Health Solutions, Inc., a publicly held pharmacy benefits management company. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Georgetown University and is a certified public accountant.

     

    On joining Quintiles, McDonnell said, “I’m looking forward to joining Quintiles and working with its talented leadership team and finance professionals. I’m excited to get started on enabling the company’s continued growth and opportunity.”