With pirate service TVizion never responding to a Dish Network/NagraStar lawsuit filed earlier this year, the two seek a court order giving them $5.96 million in statutory damages plus permanent injunctive relief. In a docket 18-cv-00727 motion (in Pacer) for default judgment filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, Dish/NagraStar said the statutory damages were based on a $1,000 fine for each subscription TVizion sold. They said TVizion's domains should be impounded. TVizion messaged Wednesday that it "no longer exists."
On average, 330 government and commercial satellites in excess of 50 kilograms will be launched yearly through 2027, a threefold increase over the past decade due to the rise of small satellites and mega constellations, Euroconsult said Monday. It said those 3,300 satellites are a $284 billion satellite manufacture and launch market. In the commercial space sector, close to 50 companies will launch almost 2,000 satellites, it said.
Univision and Dish Network -- blaming each other for a blackout (see 1807020030) -- are now pointing fingers at one another about disruption of the remainder of Univision's networks. Univision said Tuesday it had "made every reasonable effort and beyond to reach an agreement." "Given that Dish experienced its worst-ever quarterly subscriber losses after dropping the bulk of Univision’s networks and stations, its unwillingness to recognize the power of Hispanic consumers and the popularity of Univision’s leading news, sports and entertainment programming is bizarre and disappointing," it said. Dish said it "offered to extend our existing agreement so that negotiations could continue without further impacting our customers, unfortunately, Univision refused" and blocked Deportes, Forotv, Tlnovelas and El Rey from its DishLatino. Univision's “content, on the whole, continues to decline in viewership, and as a result, the economics of their proposals do not make sense" even as it sells its direct-to-consumer Univision Now service at a lower price than it wants to charge Dish, the direct broadcast satellite operator said.
Commissioners approved an NPRM that would expand streamlined processing procedures for geostationary fixed satellite service to direct broadcast satellite, the agency said Tuesday. The DBS NPRM had been on the agenda for Thursday's meeting (see 1810240030). Comments will be due 45 days after publication in the Federal Register, replies 75 days after publication.
Iridium and Japanese handheld radio-maker Icom will partner on a global push-to-talk-only radio handheld. Iridium said Friday the satellite-based radio is to target remote workers, first responders, the military, nongovernmental organizations and others needing real-time communications in areas lacking ground infrastructure. It said it expects to launch the offering in 2019.
The draft non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) earth stations in motion (ESIM) NPRM on Thursday's commissioner agenda (see 1810240030) needs clarification due to seeming contradictions, Iridium representatives told FCC International Bureau staffers, recounted a docket 18-315 posting Friday. The company said the draft NPRM says the agency "will not consider" NGSO ESIMs in the 29.25-29.5 GHz band since it's reserved for geostationary fixed satellite service networks for fixed earth stations. Yet the FCC has adopted rules allowing GSO FSS ESIMs there and the 29.25-29.5 GHz band can be used for NGSO mobile satellite service feeder links on a co-primary basis under the commission’s Ka-band plan, the satellite operator pointed out.
Making it clear Galileo global navigation satellite system receivers won't be eligible for protection from signals outside the radionavigation satellite service allocation will help ensure GPS devices are "robust and resilient," Ligado representatives told aides to FCC Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel, Mike O'Rielly and Brendan Carr, it recounted of the meetings, posted Friday in docket 17-16. An order allowing U.S. devices to receive Galileo signals alongside GPS is on this week's meeting agenda (see 1810240030).
Astroscale is pressing the FCC for post-mission disposal of satellites, especially those above a natural-decaying orbit of 25 years, said a docket 18-313 posting Wednesday on meeting International Bureau Satellite Division staff. The space debris removal company said the standard 25-year deorbit time frame might no longer suffice due to increased orbital congestion.
Intelsat wants to extend the approved life of its C-band Galaxy 13 satellite through December 2030. In an FCC International Bureau application Monday, it said the license term for the satellite -- operating at 127 degrees west -- expires Jan. 1, but its expected end of service life is the end of 2030 in an inclined orbit operation, which the company plans to operate it in.
Satellite communications and imaging and analytics services serving unmanned aircraft systems could be a cumulative $30 billion market through 2027, Northern Sky Research said Tuesday. NSR said that projection is largely driven by satcom revenue, and UAS use is accelerating globally, driven largely by government and military end users. It said the market for UAS airframes, satcom terminals and capacity demand is expected to grow as more countries enter the UAS export market. For smaller UAS, the chief commercial application is imaging, and demand is expected to come from North America, Europe and Asia.