11 March 2001

Satcoms

Com Dev Receives Multi-Product Space Order
Com Dev Space has received an Authority to Proceed (ATP) from a major European customer for the supply of satellite equipment consisting of Ku band input and output multiplexers, waveguide switches and coaxial switches.

The ATP gives Com Dev the authority to begin work on a contract worth Cdn$ 3.9M for spacecraft equipment. The equipment will be delivered in November of this year.

Com Dev Space manufactures advanced products that are sold to the major satellite prime contractors for use in commercial communications and earth science satellites.

Comsat Mobile Comms Provides Services to Silversea Cruise's Newest Ship
Comsat Mobile Communications (CMC), a business unit of Lockheed Martin Global Telecommunications (LMGT), has signed an agreement with Silversea Cruises extending CMC satellite communications service to the entire Silversea fleet, including the newest ship in the Silversea family, the Silver Whisper.

The agreement calls for CMC to continue to provide global voice and data communications for Silversea's fleet of ultra-luxury, all-suite cruise ships.

Comsat's C band satellite communications give the Silversea fleet one of the most advanced shipboard satellite communications solutions available today.

The satellite communications service will couple local and wide area networking with broadband technology to facilitate cost-effective and rapid transfer of large data files, while offering their guests and crew voice, e-mail, and a full range of Internet services.

CMC's complete package of voice and data services is scheduled for availability aboard the Silver Whisper for its July 2nd maiden voyage. Last year, CMC's C band service was installed aboard the 296-passenger Silver Cloud and sister ship Silver Wind, as well as the 382-passenger Silver Shadow.

Improving Emergency Medical Response to Ships in Canadian Waters
Telesat Canada and the Canadian Space Agency have announced a new initiative that will dramatically improve emergency medical response to marine vessels travelling in Canadian waters.

The Marine Interactive Satellite Technologies (MIST) program is the third in a series of progressively successful multimedia satellite-based initiatives led by the Canadian Space Agency and Telesat that are providing vital services to Canadians in remote regions of the country.

The MIST project equips marine vessels with high-speed mobile satellite communication terminals that can link patients or on-board medical staff with medical experts on shore. Along with use for emergency purposes, the terminals can be used by passengers for everything from checking their office e-mail to booking a hotel at their destination port.

Remote Communities Services Telecentre (RCST): In 1998, Telesat and the CSA began working together on the Remote Communities Services Telecentre (RCST) program, which has since linked rural communities in Labrador and Newfoundland with major urban centres in Canada via satellite telecentres. Since their establishment, the telecentres in each community have become key hubs for the provision of tele-learning and tele-health services, delivered using satellite-enabled high speed Internet access, videoconferencing and digital imaging.

Integrated Emergency Medicine Network (IEMN): Last year, the CSA and Telesat launched their second initiative, called the Integrated Emergency Medicine Network (IEMN), which built on the infrastructure created by the RCST project to provide an integrated medical emergency response network in Newfoundland and Labrador. The program's undertaking established high-speed satellite communications facilities that can link emergency personnel treating injuries at disaster sites with medical experts in major urban centres.

Using the same principle, the service has been extended to land and airborne ambulances, allowing emergency doctors to monitor the vital signs of patients in transit and prepare for their arrival, using mobile satellite communications technology.

Iridium Satellite Selects Service Providers Worldwide
Iridium Satellite has signed distributor agreements with 13 service providers worldwide prior to next month's re-launch of commercial service.

The non-exclusive agreements enable the providers to sell Iridium services to industrial and government markets.

The service providers are:

• AST Airtime Ltd (Western Europe, Africa and Asia)
• Eurocom Industries A/S
• Fibertel (Western Europe, the Mediterranean and Northern Africa)
• Geolink Global Satellite Services (Western Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa, Russia and Asia)
• Global Satellite FWI (Western Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa, the Caribbean, South America and Central America)
• GloCall Satellite Communications BV (Western Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas)
• Incomserv Co. Ltd (Russia and other Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries)
• Infosat Telecommunications (North and Central America and the Caribbean)
• Marconi Marine (Western Europe and Scandanavia)
• O'Gara Satellite Networks Ltd (Europe, the Middle East and Africa)
• Rent Express
• Stratos (the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia Pacific)
• World Communication Center

Maritime Telecommunications Network Extends Contract With Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises has signed a multi-year contract that has extended its long-standing relationship with Maritime Telecommunications Network Inc (MTN) through the year 2003. MTN has been the primary fleet telecommunications provider to Princess Cruise Lines since 1994.

Princess Cruise Lines will introduce MTN's latest communications advancement, MTN's ShipNet, aboard its current, nine-ship fleet, as well as on the Pacific Sky, operated by sister company P & O Australia. ShipNet (Satellite High Speed IP Network) maximises shore-to-ship bandwidth utilisation, resulting in increased efficiency. The IP-based network infrastructure offers robust flexibility, improved service quality and greater potential for communications growth.

ShipNet provides Princess vessels with MTN's Global C band Network, which allows continuous communication throughout the world. MTN and parent company, Verestar Inc, provide complete coverage through Verestar's 10 Satellite Network Access Points (SNAPs) and an inventory of over 175 antennas with access to 60+ satellites. ShipNet keeps the ships "connected" to the Princess network headquarters in Los Angeles, as well as provides voice and data services to both passengers and crew. Additional value-added ShipNet features include the ability to remotely track performance parameters and analysis of bandwidth utilisation and other statistics.

New Licensing Structure for Satellite Services In Ireland
Etain Doyle, Ireland's Telecoms Regulator has announced an important addition to the licensing structure for satellite services in Ireland. International telecommunications connectivity is facilitated by new Teleport Facilities Regulations with innovative co-ordination measures to overcome complexities and delays often faced by operators.

The existing Fixed Satellite Earth Station Regulations apply to satellite earth stations, operating from fixed points on the earth. This also includes transportable earth stations that are commonly used for Electronic News Gathering (ENG). The licensing scheme is straightforward and is designed to cater for small networks; examples of usage include satellite news gathering, betting, and product support for major car manufacturers.

Certain satellite earth stations are exempt from the requirement to hold a licence, these include domestic receive-only earth stations that are used for satellite TV reception and other types of small-scale installations. Mobile and many personal communications satellite terminals are also exempt from licensing under this structure.

Teleport Regulations: Under these regulations a Teleport is an international telecommunications facility which can provide connectivity between satellite networks and national terrestrial networks and consists of at least three satellite earth stations which are each capable of operating to more than one satellite. The Teleport Facilities Regulations are designed to facilitate the co-ordinated and cohesive development of such medium to large-scale projects, which would be expected to be of great economic benefit to their surrounding regions.

These regulations offer potential operators an innovative structure providing flexible co-ordination process where the maximum number of satellites may be internationally co-ordinated at the one time for the site and brought into use at a later date. It makes the most of the flexibility offered by the earth stations on the teleport site and allows the operator to make full use of 'off peak' deals available from satellite operators.

A key feature of the Teleport Facility Regulations is the five-year duration of their licence compared to the usual one year renewable term for other licences issued under the Wireless Telegraphy Act. This extended licence term is in recognition of the significant investment likely to be incurred in establishing and maintaining a Teleport facility.

Thaicom 4 Renamed Agrani 2
Thaicom 4, built by Alcatel Space for Shinawatra but never delivered, has been sold to Agrani Satellite Services and will be launched on an Ariane in about 18 months.

The satellite, built on a Spacebus 3000 platform, was kept in storage at Alcatel Space's facilities in Cannes, France, waiting to be sold. Thaicom 4 was built by Alcatel in 1997 for Shinawatra as an option included in the purchase of Thaicom 3. Unfortunately the Asian financial crash of 1997 left Shinawatra without the cash to buy the satellite and so it remained in Cannes.

Equipped with 24 C band transponders and 14 in the Ku Band, the satellite will be renamed Agrani 2 and will be launched during the third quarter of 2002.

Of the Ku-band transponders, seven will have fixed India coverage, three will have steerable coverage over Europe, Middle East and South East Asia and the remaining four transponders will be switchable between fixed and steerable beams.

About 18% of the satellite's capacity will be utilised by companies of the Essel Group of Indian media mogul Subhash Chandra, who is also behind Agrani Satellite Services.

WildBlue Selects ViaSat Satellite Modems
WildBlue Communications Inc has selected ViaSat Inc to build the company's satellite modems. The initial portion of this contract is valued at approximately US$ 16 million and covers development and production of satellite modems to support initial service launch.

WildBlue plans to roll out affordable two-way broadband services via satellite direct to homes and small offices throughout the contiguous United States in early 2002 and subsequently expand service to Canada and Latin America. WildBlue plans to be the first to launch the next generation Ka band spot beam satellite technology that is designed to lower the cost of providing high-speed Internet access via satellite. This service is expected to be especially appealing to the millions of homes that will not have access to DSL or cable modem service.

Williams F1 awards contract to ND SatCom
Formula 1 racing stable Williams F1/BMW has commissioned Friedrichshafen-based ND SatCom Gesellschaft für Satellitenkommunikationssysteme mbH with the installation of a satellite-supported communication network.

Williams F1 is one of the most successful Formula 1 racing stables in the world. Since 1979 Williams has won 103 Grand Prix races, 7 driver championships and 9 constructors championships. Williams´ vehicles have taken pole position over a hundred times. The motor behind of this success is a professional team of drivers, engineers and technicians eagerly bent on continuously developing and perfecting the race cars as well as the vehicle service on the course, at Williams in England, BMW in Munich and partner companies. This teamwork requires intensive communication and the exchange of extensive measurement, telemetry and design data not only between company sites but also between the race and test courses in Europe. Terrestrial networks no longer meet the requirements of Williams F1.

In co-operation with the British Consort Global Satellite Service (formerly BT-Global Satellite Service), ND SatCom has developed a satellite-supported VSAT network solution initially designed for a bandwidth of 1 Mb/s. During the first phase, permanent stations will be installed at Williams and BMW and afterward the race teams will be equipped with the mobile VSAT stations. The entire VSAT network will be ready for operation at the beginning of the Formula 1 season in Europe.

Military Space

Integral Systems to Demo Replacement Milsatcom Command and Control
Integral Systems Inc has been awarded a US$ 3.4 million contract for Phase One of the CCS-C (Command and Control System - Consolidated) Program by the US Air Force Space & Missile Systems Center.

CCS-C will replace the current Air Force Satellite Control Network Command and Control Segment supporting Milsatcom communications satellites and other satellite programs.

The one-year Phase One contract provides for the design and demonstration of Integral Systems' proposed command and control system solution for the Milsatcom fleet. A total of two Phase One contracts were awarded. Phase One will be followed by a downselect to one contractor to develop and sustain the systems for the entire fleet during the period from 2002 to 2010 at a potential total estimated value of US$ 142 million.

Trimble Wins Order for 15,000 GPS Receivers
Signal Engineering Inc (SEI), in a joint development with Tadiran-Spectralink, is using Trimble's Global Positioning System (GPS) technology for a new Search and Rescue (SAR) radio beacon, manufactured under contract for the US Navy.

The US Navy awarded the multi-year, 15,000 unit contract to Tadiran-Spectralink in partnership with Signal Engineering. The radio beacon, known as the AN/PRC-149, is equipped with Trimble's Lassen LP module. The Lassen LP module is a small, low-power, commercially available GPS receiver that enables the beacon to automatically broadcast position information so that downed aircrews can be quickly located anywhere in the world.

The AN/PRC-149 is a handheld triple-frequency radio beacon covering the international SAR frequencies of 121.5, 243, and 406 MHz (COSPAS / SARSAT). An embedded GPS receiver allows the transmission of the beacon's location on the 406 MHz channel. The AN/PRC-149 also supports voice communication on 121.5, 243 and 282.8 MHz providing crucial communications between the downed airmen and the rescue forces in the final stages of the rescue. When activated, the radio beacon automatically transmits satellite-based positioning data that can be picked up worldwide by multiple communication platforms including satellites and SAR rescue craft such as ships, helicopters and planes. A digital message containing position information is relayed by the COSPAS/SARSAT satellite system to Mission Control Centers (MCC) around the world. The MCC then initiates a well-planned, rapidly deployed rescue operation using agencies such as the US Navy and US Coast Guard to rescue the downed airmen.

The Lassen LP is a high-performance, micro GPS receiver that uses only 3.3 volts. The Lassen LP module was designed specifically for system integrators developing next generation portable devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), notebook computers, cellular phones, data recorders, in-car navigation and vehicle tracking systems as well as portable instrumentation. Because of its micro-sized board, the system integrator can easily fit GPS functionality into portable products.

Launches

STS-102

Launched: 8 March 2001
Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Launcher: Shuttle Discovery (STS-102)
Orbit: LEO, apogee: 226 km, perigee: 226 km: inclination: 51.6°
International Number: 2001-010A
Name: ISS 5A.1 (Leonardo Multi Purpose Logistics Module) on the Shuttle Discovery (STS-102)
Owner: ESA

Launch of the Italian logistics module Leonardo to the International Space Station as well as crew for a crew rotation after the first three months of manned operation of the ISS.

The Shuttle Discovery docked with the ISS on Saturday. Mission duration is just under 12 days.

Shuttle Crew: Wetherbee, Kelly, Thomas, Richards

ISS Crew (Expedition 2 - up): Voss, Helms, Usachev

ISS Crew (Expedition 1 - down): Shepherd, Gidzenko, Krikalev

BSAT-2A, Eurobird

Launched: 8 March 2001
Site: CSG Kourou, French Guiana
Launcher: Ariane 5

International Number: 2001-011A
Orbit: GEO, 28.5° E
Name: EuroBird
Owner: Eutelsat
Contractor: Alcatel Space

International Number: 2001-011B
Orbit: GEO, 110° E
Name: BSAT 2A
Owner: Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation
Contractor: Orbital Sciences

Eurobird is based on Alcatel's Spacebus 3000 platform. It weighs 3,050 kg at launch (dry mass 1337 kg) and is equipped with 24 Ku band transponders. Total on-board power is 5.53 kW at the end of life. The spacecraft's operational life is 12 years.

BSAT-2A is the first of two TV broadcast satellites being built by Orbital for the Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation of Japan based on its STAR platform. It carries four Ku band transponders. Mass at launch was 1317 kg and the available power at the beginning of the ten year life will be 2.6 kW. BSAT 2B is scheduled for launch in June 2001.

Business

Advanced Communication Technologies to Win Orbcomm Auction
Advanced Communications Technologies Inc has been confirmed as the successful bidder for the asset purchase of Orbcomm Global LP (Orbcomm), the first commercial provider of global low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite data communication services.

The transaction is entirely subject to the approval of the US Bankruptcy Court of Delaware, and the satisfactory closing of the transaction within the parameters dictated by the court.

Orbcomm, a joint venture between Orbital Sciences and Teleglobe Inc has been operating under Chapter 11 protection since September 15, 2000. The service has 37,000 subscriber terminals in operation.

Comtech to Buy Microwave Amp Business From MPD Technologies
Comtech Telecommunications Corp has entered into an agreement to acquire the commercial satellite, medical and government RF microwave amplifier product lines of MPD Technologies Inc, for US$ 11 million in cash, subject to adjustment.

Closing of the transaction is expected on or about April 30, 2001, subject to customary conditions.

MPD Technologies Inc, based in Hauppauge, New York, designs, develops and manufactures a wide range of linear power amplifiers and related subsystems for the wireless telecommunications market. In addition the company also designs and manufactures high-power amplifiers for commercial satellite communications, for medical applications and for the government market.

The satellite, medical and government RF microwave amplifier product line and contracts acquired from MPD Technologies Inc will be combined with the Comtech PST Corp subsidiary based in Melville, New York which also produces RF microwave amplifier products used in wireless and cellular communications, instrumentation, and government applications.

Globalstar Investors Start Class Action Suit
A securities class action lawsuit has been initiated on behalf of all investors who acquired Globalstar Telecommunications Limited debt securities between December 6, 1999 and October 27, 2000 by Abbey Gardy LLP.

The case is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Named as defendants in the complaint are Globalstar, Bernard Schwartz (Chairman) and Loral Space & Communications Ltd, Globalstar's controlling shareholder.

The complaint alleges that the defendants issued materially false and misleading information that misrepresented the Company's financial condition and prospects. The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, defendants misrepresented that the Company's plans to roll out its satellite phone network was on schedule and that demand for the system was strong and in line with the Company's expectations. In truth, however, the Company was experiencing significant delays in obtaining approval for the system from European regulators which was negatively impacting sales. Additionally, demand was much less than predicted because the Company's system failed to offer roaming service, rendering it uncompetitive in developed nations. Moreover, according to the complaint, defendants repeatedly made representations regarding demand for the Company's products that had not basis in fact.

According to a statement issued by Abbey Gardy, one of the law firms to represent the Class, Defendants' misrepresentations caused the price of Globalstar debt securities to be artificially inflated throughout the Class Period.

Iridium Creditors Get OK to Sue Motorola
A US bankruptcy court has given Iridium's creditors the go ahead to sue Motorola for billions of dollars. Lawyers successfully argued that Motorola retained control of Iridium after it went public in 1997 and that Motorola operated the company to the detriment of Iridium and its other investors.

Creditors have alleged that:

• money lent to Iridium was funnelled to Motorola
• Motorola structured owned the software necessary for the operation of the satellite system and that Iridium paid an excessive amount to Motorola for the operation of the system using this software
• since Motorola employees sat on Iridium's board, Motorola effectively
  controlled Iridium.

At a hearing in lower Manhattan, secured bank lenders and unsecured creditors agreed to co-ordinate their legal actions against Motorola and to create a new firm, Iridium Litigation LLC, which will manage the litigation process. This company has funds of approximately US$ 47 million and is looking for damages of more then US$ 2 billion from Motorola for Iridium and US$ 3.5 billion for losses suffered as investors in Iridium.

Richardson Selected as Worldwide Distributor for SWE DISH
Richardson Electronics Ltd, a leading global provider of engineered solutions for RF and wireless, communications and broadcast products, has been selected as an authorised worldwide distributor for SWE DISH Wahlberg & Selin.

Under the terms of the agreement, the Broadcast Richardson Business Unit will also be the exclusive distributor for SWE DISH broadcast products in the United States.

SWE DISH is a global leader in the design and manufacturing of satellite communication systems for the broadcast, military and corporate communication markets.

SES Close to Buying GE Americom
Societé Européenne des Satellites looks set to buy GE Americom for between US$ 4.5 and US$ 5 billion in cash and stock. SES has been looking for an acquisition which will give it a presence in the US market for some time.

GE Capital would keep a minority stake of about 25% in the entity and would have board representation.

Several other bidders are reported to be interested acquiring GE Americom including Echostar Communications, Loral Space & Communications and Intelsat.

GE Americom has a fleet of 15 satellites, 12 of which have coverage of the US.

Sirius Gets Lehman Loan Money
Satellite radio broadcaster, Sirius Satellite Radio has received the proceeds of its US$ 150 million credit facility provided by Lehman Brothers.

Funding followed satisfaction of all closing conditions, including the demonstration of Sirius' broadcast system.

Previously, the funds had been withheld by Lehman Brothers because of a software problem which prevented the reception of high quality audio under certain conditions.

StarBand Cancels IPO
StarBand Communications Inc has announced that, in light of current market conditions, it has determined not to proceed with its planned public offering of common stock and has advised the United States Securities and Exchange Commission that it is withdrawing the Registration Statement filed on Form S-1 in connection with the offering.

StarBand Communications Inc (formerly known as Gilat-To-Home Inc.) is the USA's first nationwide provider of two-way, always-on, high-speed Internet access via satellite to residential and small office/home office customers. Investors and strategic partners include Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd., Microsoft Corporation and EchoStar Communications Corporation.

The company was hoping to raise US$ 287.5 million in an IPO of common stock.

Thrane & Thrane IPO
Comms equipment manufacturer Thrane & Thrane has priced shares in its initial public offer (IPO) at 120 Danish crowns (US$ 14.90). The offer was oversubscribed by more than three times.

The offering consisted of 1.53 million existing stocks and 500,000 new shares and may be increased by up to 305,000 further existing shares.

Total gross proceeds to the company were about 60 million crowns, with the selling shareholders gaining approximately 183 million crowns.

Verestar Acquires Interpacket Networks
Verestar Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Tower Corporation, has completed the acquisition of Interpacket Networks, a leader in providing international Internet Service Providers (ISPs) with high speed, low cost Internet access via a global satellite overlay network.

The acquisition, which closed in December 2000, provides Verestar with a sales and distribution network that offers international ISPs reliable connectivity to the US backbone in over 110 countries, global Network Operations Centres (NOCs) and third party access to over thirteen geostationary satellites.

Products and Services

AlphaStar Offers Two-Way Residential Satellite Broadband For US$ 39.99 Per Month
AlphaStar International has announced the prices of its two-way residential satellite broadband services. The price of the basic package for a residential subscriber is US$ 39.99 per month with a onetime payment of US$ 199 for customer equipment and US$ 199 installation fees.

The basic package provides monthly always-on high-speed access of 512 kb/s downstream and 144 kb/s upstream. This is the lowest price for similar service among residential satellite broadband providers offered in the US.

AlphaStar's 2-way satellite broadband service was launched in August 2000 using GE Americom's GE-5 satellite with a footprint including the continental USA, Canada, the Caribbean and parts of Latin America. AlphaStar also demonstrated the ability to provide broadband access to Europe, the Middle East and Africa using Loral Skynet satellites.

AlphaStar has also announced a formal change of name of the satellite broadband services from TeleCrossing network to SkyCrossing network.

SkyCrossing's Network architecture for residential users is based on a hybrid model integrating two-way satellite broadband with local fixed wireless for the last mile. As a result, the two-way broadband access is provided to the residential subscribers wirelessly without the need for a satellite dish at their residences. SkyCrossing hybrid model provides the residential subscriber with all the benefits of wireless broadband anywhere and everywhere globally regardless of the geographical, national and regulatory boundaries.

The hybrid model permits the deployment of 2-way satellite broadband access globally, economically and immediately. Satellite covers areas where DSL, cable or dial-up services are unavailable, unsatisfactory or inadequate. Satellite broadband makes it possible offer Internet access to the un-served and under-served users. Meanwhile the use of local fixed wireless as the last mile allows easy and flexible installation at the residence, multiplicity of uses, mobility for users, and the ability to inject local content. The hybrid model also bypasses the bottlenecks of the Internet terrestrial backbone and the dependency on the fibre or phone companies.

Globalstar Announces New Pricing Plans for USA and Caribbean
Globalstar USA and Caribbean today announced a series of new, tiered multi-line service plans, called "Business Reach."

These new pricing plans offer both new and existing customers the opportunity to take advantage of lower monthly access charges and per minute rates when they subscribe to five lines or more of mobile satellite phone service.

When customers hit specific usage levels, progressively lower per-minute pricing is applied to all minutes used on that line during the monthly billing period. Per-minute pricing applies to minutes of use for both voice and data services in the Globalstar USA and Caribbean Home Service Area.

With Business Reach, the monthly access fee for five lines or more is US$ 19.95 per line, compared with US$ 24.95 for Globalstar's Beyond Basic single line monthly service fee - a saving of five dollars per line. Per minute savings can be even more substantial.

The new Business Reach plan has five per minute rate tiers, based upon levels of usage. Tiered pricing discounts apply to individual lines of service.

Business Reach Multi-Line Tiered Service Plans are effective immediately.

Paradise Datacom Introduces Compact Outdoor Amplifiers Paradise Datacom, a recent addition to the Intelek Group, announces the introduction of a series of compact outdoor solid-state power amplifiers (SSPAs) for satellite communications applications, complementing their range of indoor rack-mounted SSPAs and SSPA modules. Weighing in at just 13.6 kg and only slightly larger than a shoe-box, Paradise Datacom's Compact Outdoor series of SSPAs is available in power levels ranging from 10 to 70 Watts at Ku band frequencies and from 30 to 200 Watts at C band. Extended frequency band operation and L band input operations are supported as well. The amplifiers can be mounted on an antenna strut, pedestal or inside a hub. Paradise Datacom design and manufacture sophisticated and flexible satellite communication equipment including satellite modems, SSPAs, LNAs and associated redundancy equipment.

Pascall Introduces 18 GHz VSAT Transceiver Pascall Microwave, part of the Intelek Group, has introduced the STR-1812 solid-state transceiver, the world's first 18 GHz transceiver, for use in private satellite networks. The STR-1812 transmits at 17.3 - 18.4 GHz and receives at 10.7 - 12.75 GHz. Data rates of up to 2 Mb/s from a 1.2 m antenna and up to 4 Mb/s from a 1.8 m antenna are supported, making the transceiver highly suitable for VSAT networks. The STR-1812 has an L band interface, rather than a traditional 70 MHz or 140 MHz interface, eliminating the up-conversion stage between interface and transceiver, resulting in simplified outdoor circuitry and reduced system costs. First shipments of the transceiver, for customer trials, were made in November 1999. A low-cost, miniaturised version of the transceiver is currently under development and will be available for commercial shipment later in the year. Pascall Microwave designs and manufactures solid state power amplifiers and transceivers for satellite communications, in-flight telephony, aircraft landing systems and radar systems. Pascall Microwave is located in Manchester, UK.

Telekom Austria Launches Broadband Communications Via Satellite
Telekom Austria AG has launched SkyMultiMedia which offers ADSL-like broadband data connections via satellite.

Successful trials of the technology in Austrian schools have proven that SkyMultiMedia is an effective way to offer high bandwidth data connectivity to areas without current access to broadband communications.

Telekom Austria has previously offered fast Internet access only via fixed lines, though satellites have been used as a means of transmission since 1976.

People

Boeing Space and Comms Appoints CTO
The Boeing Company has appointed Dr David Whelan to vice president and chief technology officer, Space and Communications Group (S&C).

In this newly established position, Dr Whelan is responsible for the development of advanced, leading-edge technology processes, principles and practices impacting S&C's strategic direction. The scope of his efforts will include directing, focusing and integrating research and development activities within S&C and directing external research based on partnerships with universities, federal laboratories and other organisations.

Jill J Wittels Joins L-3 Communications
L-3 Communications announced Jill J Wittels has joined the company as corporate vice president of Business Development.

In this role, Dr Wittels will oversee all of L-3's engineering and technology efforts, identifying promising and high potential technologies for both military and commercial applications. Dr. Wittels succeeds Larry Schwartz, who will retire in April after a 30-year career at L-3 Communications.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Names President of Missiles & Space Operations
Jeffrey K Harris has been named President of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company-Missiles & Space Operations, based in Sunnyvale, California.

Harris has served since April 2000 as President, Special Programs for Space Systems.

Harris replaces Anthony G Tuffo, who announced his retirement after a 34-year career with Lockheed Martin.

Prior to leading Special Programs, Harris was President of Space Imaging.

Staff Changes at Boeing Satellite Following Resignations
Tig Krekel, president of Boeing Satellite Systems (BSS), and Joe DeSarla, executive vice president of BSS, have announced their intention to leave The Boeing Company to pursue other opportunities.

Krekel and DeSarla will be on special assignment supporting Jim Albaugh, president of the Boeing Space & Communications Group, and The Boeing Company on business and programmatic-related studies during a transition period.

Effective immediately, Randy Brinkley, currently senior vice president of programs, is appointed acting President of BSS, reporting directly to Jim Albaugh.

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