MTN signed an agreement with NewSat to enhance satellite coverage and throughput for MTN customers in Southeast Asia and Oceania. The agreement expands C- and Ku-band satellite coverage in those regions “and puts MTN in a strategic position for future service launches, including Ka band,” MTN said in a news release (http://bit.ly/1ch4xYb). The maritime markets served by MTN’s network are growing in vessel count and in demand, it said. MTN plans to add efficiencies to its network, it said.

Orbcomm unveiled new satellite modems it says are ideal for original equipment manufacturer integration into satellite machine-to-machine applications targeting markets such as transportation and distribution. The modems are 100 percent backward compatible with Orbcomm’s current OG1 satellite network, it said in a news release (http://bit.ly/NV3MbO).

Dish Network and Disney reached a carriage agreement that includes rights for Dish to carry Disney content for over-the-top (OTT) viewing. The deal also will result in a dismissal of pending litigation over ad-skipping technology from Dish, which will disable the AutoHop functionality for ABC content within the C3 ratings window. Content from Disney and properties including ABC and ESPN will be available on TVs, computers, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles and connected devices, the companies said in a news release Monday (http://bit.ly/1fEOhB5). The distribution agreement grants Dish the rights “to stream cleared linear and video-on-demand content from the ABC-owned broadcast stations, ABC Family, Disney Channel, ESPN and ESPN2, as part of an Internet delivered, IP-based multichannel offering,” they said. For the first time, Dish subscribers will be able to access Disney’s authenticated live and VOD products, they said. “The deal also provides a structure for other advertising models as the market evolves, including dynamic ad insertion, advertising on mobile devices and extended advertising measurement periods.” The agreement is a “win-win” for both sides, said Wells Fargo analyst Marci Ryvicker. “We would venture to guess that both sides got what they needed as this seems more like an agreement between partners rather than adversaries.” Most curious is the OTT service, “and we wonder if this DIS [Disney] deal has set a precedent for future Dish carriage agreements,” she wrote investors Tuesday. Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen said the companies were taking their time to reach an agreement and his company wanted a deal that took evolving technology into consideration (CD Feb 24 p9). The deal also includes an agreement with ESPN to carry University of Texas content on the Longhorn Network within Texas and nationwide, Dish said (http://bit.ly/1mSVYHM).

Hughes won a General Services Administration task order to provide commercial satellite communications end-to-end solutions in support of the Government Education and Training Network (GETN). The service will enable GETN’s distance learning capabilities, Hughes said in a news release Monday (http://bit.ly/1luSMQI). The task order is for a 4 1/2-year term, it said. GETN is made of eight federal agencies, including judiciary agencies, sharing satellite technology, facilities and distance learning programs, Hughes said. The company, which is owned by EchoStar, said it also will provide project management, maintenance and operational support and satellite capacity.

Dish Network launched a feature that gives customers using the Hopper the ability to control TV volume and power from their iPads. Dish added the feature to its second-screen iPad app, Dish Explorer, it said in a press release (http://bit.ly/1jDXxV9). In addition to the new feature, Dish added a new “Picked for Me” section to the app “offering personalized program recommendations based on viewing habits,” it said. Dish Explorer highlights the most popular programs on TV using real-time TV viewing trends, it said.

Inmarsat agreed RacoWireless will distribute Inmarsat’s IsatData Pro machine to machine (M2M) service. IsatData Pro will be one of RacoWireless’ primary network solutions for Latin America’s growing fleet-management market, said Inmarsat in a Tuesday news release (http://bit.ly/NxmaYc). The solution will enable M2M users “to enhance the efficiency and ensure the safety and security of their fixed and mobile assets in regions not covered by terrestrial telecommunications infrastructure,” it said. RacoWireless will integrate the solution into its Omega Management Suite, which serves as a cloud-based dashboard for global device management, Inmarsat said.

ViaSat requested access to the U.S. market using a proposed Ka-band satellite, ViaSat-KA 8W, the FCC International Bureau said in a public notice (http://bit.ly/1o0W6zY). ViaSat plans to operate the satellite under the authority of the U.K. at 88.9 degrees west, it said. The company wants U.S. market access to provide fixed satellite service using 18.3-19.3 GHz, 19.7-20.2 GHz, 28.1-29.1 GHz and 29.5-30.0 GHz, it said. In respect to a separate filing, the public notice said Sirius XM requested a 180-day special temporary authority to perform telemetry, tracking and command operations necessary to drift its XM-2 satellite from 115 degrees west to 27 degrees west. Sirius XM also requested a waiver of FCC rules to permit XM-2 to be maintained at 27 degrees west with a +/-0.1 degree east-west stationkeeping tolerance, it said.

Globalstar urged the FCC to adopt a proposal to increase power limits for indoor unlicensed national information infrastructure (U-NII) devices by 500 percent. The commission also can expand the U-NII-3 band by 25 MHz and consolidate all U-NII-3 equipment authorizations for digitally modulated devices under the U-NII rules, Globalstar said in an ex parte filing in docket 13-49 (http://bit.ly/1myjxFs). If millions of outdoor U-NII-1 access points were permitted to operate throughout the U.S., “it would be virtually impossible to repair the harm to Globalstar and those who rely on its licensed services,” Globalstar said. The filing recounted a phone conversation Feb. 18 between Globalstar attorney Regina Keeney and staff from Chairman Tom Wheeler’s office. Globalstar and NCTA, after being at odds on access to spectrum cable and other non-satellite communications companies want for Wi-Fi, had been talking about reaching a solution (CD Feb 19 p16).

Intelsat reported Q4 2013 revenue of $642.8 million, which is down from $672.3 million in the same period in 2012. Intelsat reported revenue of $2.603 billion for the whole year, which is slightly down from $2.610 billion in 2012, it said in a press release (http://bit.ly/1mf9kdr). The company’s revenue growth continues to be affected by reduced U.S. government spending and the oversupply environment in Africa, “which affects pricing within network services applications in that region,” it said. Those factors will likely persist this year, “resulting in overall reduced revenues for the full year compared to 2013,” it said. At $300 million, network services comprised 47 percent of Q4 2013 revenue, down 1 percent from the same period in 2012, it said. Revenue from media declined 3 percent to $218 million, it said. Government revenue also decreased in Q4 2013 by 14 percent to $116 million. Satellite-related services reported an aggregate decline of $7.5 million, “primarily due to decreased revenue from government professional services and flight operations support or third party satellites,” Intelsat said.

The FCC International Bureau seeks comment on a rulemaking allowing Globalstar to deploy a low-power terrestrial broadband network. Comments are due May 5, with replies due June 4, the bureau said in a Federal Register notice (http://1.usa.gov/1bmzZDX). The FCC released the NPRM last year (CD Nov 5 p5).