Satcoms

Earlier this month, the Royal Air Force (RAF) took part in the gruelling Himalayan Venture 18, the principal expedition of RAF100 –the celebration of the centenary of the formation of the Royal Air Force, the first independent Air Force in the world. Uniting 75 members of the wider RAF family, the pioneering expedition took teams to the Rolwaling and Khumbu regions of the Nepalese Himalayan range.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), the Indian state-run telecommunications company, is partnering with Japan’s Softbank and NTT Communications to provide 5G networks and Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity across India, including through Softbank’s OneWeb satellite constellation that is currently under construction.

Arianespace is preparing its sixth launch of 2018 as it plans to orbit Azerbaijan's Azerspace-2/Intelsat-38 telecommunications satellite on board an Ariane-5 launch vehicle from the Guiana Space Center (CSG) in South America. The launch, planned for 25 September 2018, also includes the Horizons-3e communications satellite for Intelsat and its partner SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation.

The governments of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are considering the joint construction and operation of a communications satellite, and are also looking at proposing a Central Asian Earth observation satellite constellation consisting of five satellites.

The past few years have seen the satellite press column inches dominated by excited talk of new mega constellations. We have learned how thousands of small satellites are going to transform connectivity for billions around the world. I should know, I am one of the people that have been excitedly scribbling about it. But now that the dust has settled on the flurry of news of the constellations that are in the pipeline, where are we now?

The Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company Limited (BCSCL), operator of the recently launched Bangabandhu-1 communications satellite, has selected Thaicom, Thailand's largest commercial satellite communications operator, to help BCSC develop new markets and business for its satellite services.

The First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Askar Mamin, has discussed the implementation of the joint Baiterek project in Moscow with the Director General of the Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities, Dmitry Rogozin, the press service of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan said in a statement on 17 September 2018, according to a TASS report.

Thai New Space company mu Space Corp is developing its first Internet of Things (IoT) product that will be powered by 5G networks, mu Space’s founder and chief executive – James Yenbamroong - revealed on 19 September 2018 at the Thailand Digital Big Bang. Yenbangroong told the audience that the company is now working on finalizing the IoT product’s design and functionality.

Talia Limited, a leading communication provider serving the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the Americas, have announced the completion, and successful deployment, of a new state-of-the-art uplink platform, complete and ready to host High Definition and Standard Definition channel’s secure transmission on Arabsat Badr-7 satellite at 26°E.

Newtec – the Belgian company specialising in designing, developing, and manufacturing equipment and technologies for satellite communications – and Arab Satellite Communications (Arabsat) have signed a new multi-million Euro contract, expanding their long-term partnership.