Marine Link
Thursday, March 28, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

Comsat News

13 Jul 2020

COMSAT Bolsters Inmarsat Network

COMSAT Santa Paula, Calif. teleport bolsters Inmarsat network (Photo: COMSAT)

Satellite connectivity solutions provider COMSAT said it is extending the life of Inmarsat’s existing satellites through the leasing of an additional antenna at COMSAT’s Santa Paula, Calif. Teleport. The newly leased 12.8m antenna is transmitting and receiving in both C-band and L-band frequencies, bolstering capacity for the Tracking, Telemetry and Command (TT&C) and traffic operations of the Inmarsat satellite network. The Santa Paula teleport hosts Inmarsat’s Standard C equipment…

11 Jul 2017

COMSAT Announces Maritime Cybersecurity Programs

COMSAT teleport at Santa Paula, CA.  (Photo: COMSAT)

Following a June 16, 2017, decision by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) that requires ship owners and managers to incorporate cyber risk management into safety management systems established by the ISM Code, COMSAT has announced its suite of cybersecurity solutions for the maritime industry. Recent events have underscored the need to protect fleets from harmful cyber-attacks. The new IMO requirement must be met prior to January 1, 2021. COMSAT provides enhanced security for data transmissions…

25 May 2017

Speedcast, COMSAT Partner in Maritime Market

Speedcast International Limited provider of fully managed, remote communication and IT solutions, announced it has signed an agreement with government satellite connectivity provider COMSAT to establish a common global service offering of Ku-band very small aperture terminal (VSAT) services for the government and maritime markets. The combined network will leverage Speedcast’s greater than 8 GHz of global satellite capacity and COMSAT’s security-cleared teleports in the United States to deliver a robust, secure network for customers needing advanced, resilient connectivity for critical operations. “The opportunity for collaboration with COMSAT fits very well with Speedcast’s commitment to delivering robust…

26 Nov 2013

Rhodes Communications Celebrates a Milestone

Having served as the editor of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News for more than 20 years, it is my running joke that Jim Rhodes, president, Rhodes Communications, Inc., is the first person I see at every trade show I attend, anywhere I attend, around the world. This, I think, is testament not to dumb luck, rather to Rhodes, who this month celebrates the 30th Anniversary of his self-named PR firm, as an astute and always-present PR machine. Rhodes Communications, Inc., an international public relations and marketing services company based in Norfolk, Va., celebrates its 30th year of business this month. Founded in 1983 by Jim Rhodes, the company originally focused primarily on the commercial and recreational segments of the marine industry.

12 Oct 2001

Comsat Granted Access to Domestic U.S. Market

Ruling Provides More Satellite Communications Options to Agencies, Relief Organizations and Businesses Operating in the U.S. Comsat Mobile Communications (CMC), a business unit of Lockheed Martin Global Telecommunications, announced that it has received authority from the FederalCommunications Commission (FCC) to provide domestic land mobile, maritime, and aeronautical mobile satellite communications services throughout the United States and its territories via the Inmarsat satellite system. This authority is granted in anticipation of the conduct of an IPO by Inmarsat as required by the 2000 Federal ORBIT Act. All of CMC's voice, data, and high-speed data services -- including Direct Internet access, e-mail, and fax -- are included in this ruling.

17 Oct 2001

Comsat Teams With NOAA and Coast Guard For Maritime Reporting

Comsat Mobile Communications(CMC), a unit of Lockheed Martin Global Telecommunications, has teamed with the United States Coast Guard and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to offer free Amver/SEAS (formerly Automated Mutual-assistance VEssel Rescue / Shipboard Environmental-data Acquisition Systems) messaging to mariners that use COMSAT-C satellite messaging service. CMC recently distributed more than 2,000 free packages of Amver/SEAS software to vessels and maritime shipping companies. This software combines Amver capabilities with NOAA volunteer observing ships weather reporting. The software, which uses a message format developed by COMSAT, enables ships to send compressed data via Inmarsat-C terminals using COMSAT-C service.

13 Nov 2001

Inmarsat Unveils Fleet F77 at Europort 2001

Inmarsat Ltd, the global mobile satellite communications provider unveiled the first product in its Inmarsat Fleet portfolio, Fleet F77 at Europort 2001. family of three, Fleet F77 offers a unique new Mobile ISDN and Mobile Packet Data service for the maritime community delivering voice, fax and data services at speeds of up to 64 kbit/s. maritime distress and safety system (GMDSS) safety standard. With Fleet F77, maritime users will have the flexibility to choose the most cost-efficient two-way communications service for their varying data requirements. The mobile packet data service is a unique maritime solution, charging users only for the data they send and receive, not the time they are connected.

09 Jan 2002

COMSAT Responds To Distress Call Off Ecuador

On January 6, 2002 at approximately 3:46 a.m., COMSAT Mobile Communications' Southbury, Conn. earth station received an Inmarsat-C "Man Overboard" distress call from Akademikis Zavarickis operating in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Equador. Responding to the call was COMSAT operator Joe Wheelahan, who contacted the ship on via an Inmarsat satellite voice call and connected them with the U.S. Coast Guard's Rescue Coordination Center in Norfolk, VA. Norfolk subsequently passed the information onto RCC Ecuador. A little more than three hours later, the man overboard was located and was returned safely to the vessel. COMSAT mid shift operator Wheelahan's quick response contacting Akademikis Zavarickis via voice communications and then connecting the ship with coast guard's RCC in Norfolk…

14 Jan 2002

Telenor Finalizes Comsat Acquisition

Telenor has completed the acquisition of COMSAT Mobile Communications operations . Simultaneously to the acquisition, Telenor gathers all its mobile satellite activities under the new business area name Telenor Satellite Services, and becomes one of the world's largest global mobile satellite operators. COMSAT Mobile now becomes the U.S. Inc. COMSAT Mobile, has annual revenues in excess of $100 million. transaction transfers CMC's operations, including all employees as well as the two earth station facilities in Southbury, Connecticut, and Santa Paula, California, to Telenor. Additionally, in September 2000 Telenor purchased a portion of LMT's Inmarsat shares to become the largest single owner of Inmarsat Ventures plc, holding the maximum permitted stake of 15 percent.

07 Feb 2002

Inmarsat Opens D.C. Office

Inmarsat Ventures plc., announced the opening of their first U.S.-based operations with an office located in Washington, D.C. Inmarsat will execute their North American operations strategy through the new office following the October 2001 legislation extending the ORBIT Act deadline for the company's initial public offering, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruling granting access rights for several Inmarsat partners. The legislation and FCC ruling will enable businesses in the U.S. to benefit from Inmarsat's robust and reliable high-speed data and voice communications services through Inmarsat partners. As a former Intergovernmental Organization…

07 Aug 2000

Lockheed Martin, Comsat Combination Completed

Lockheed Martin and Comsat have completed the strategic combination following final approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The transaction was accomplished via a one-for-one tax-free exchange of Lockheed Martin common stock for Comsat common stock for the remaining 51 percent of Comsat stock Lockheed Martin did not own. The value of the exchange of common stock is approximately $790 million. Comsat will become an integral element of Lockheed Martin Global Telecommunications, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Corporation comprising Lockheed Martin's telecommunications services business. The resultant new business, with projected revenues approaching $1 billion, plans to offer services in the U.S.

08 Nov 2000

The SatCom Shakeout

The satellite communications sector of the marine market has not been immune from the corporate consolidations that have swept all other corners of the industry, and while this particular niche has been widely regarded as fragmented, it is yet to be seen what the end effect will be for the communication users. However, it can be assumed that competition is still keen, and the name of the communication game continues to center on quality, reliability and capabilities. With an increasing emphasis on the transmission of data rather than traditional voice or fax, it can be assumed that continued efforts will center on widening the information "pipeline" between vessel and shore.

20 Feb 2001

Heroes on the High Seas

On Sunday, December 17, 2000 a raging storm was brewing off the coast of Virginia. Record-breaking waves were measuring anywhere from 30-40 ft. and the wind was gusting at about 70 knots. In the middle of the Atlantic, (220 miles off the coast of Norfolk, Va. to be exact), a 600 ft. (182.8 m), 21,000-ton cruise ship was in trouble, its crewmembers ready to abandon ship into the cold ocean. With only seconds to decide the fate of his vessel, the captain of the Sea Breeze I, placed a mayday call via the vessel's Inmarsat Standard-C distress feature, indicating that the now-defunct Premier Cruise Lines' vessel might sink. By Regina P. The dramatic rescue of SeaBreeze's 34 crewmembers began on that Sunday morning, when Eileen Joyce received an alert at COMSAT Mobile's Southbury, Conn.

27 Mar 2001

Telenor to Acquire COMSAT

Telenor of Norway and Lockheed Martin Global Telecommunications (LMGT) announced that Telenor will acquire LMGT's COMSAT Mobile Communications operations for $116.5 million in cash. The acquisition, which positions Telenor as a major global satellite mobile operator, is subject to regulatory approvals. COMSAT Mobile, with annual revenues in excess of $100 million, provides global mobile communications solutions to the maritime, land mobile and aeronautical communities, and offers data, voice, fax, telex and video capabilities via the Inmarsat satellite constellation. Telenor's purchase of COMSAT Mobile operations also includes two earth station facilities in Southbury, Connecticut, and Santa Paula, California. Linking the two U.S.

18 Apr 2001

COMSAT Mobile Communications -- Working With U.S. Coast Guard to Save Lives at Sea

Two employees of the COMSAT Mobile Communications (CMC) Land Earth Station in Southbury, Conn., were recognized recently by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) for coordinating life-saving satellite communications for the Coast Guard, the maritime vessel Ocean Wolf and four rescue ships. The incident began around 6:30 p.m. EST on Monday, October 30, 2000, when the (USCG) Station in San Juan, Puerto Rico, contacted Southbury requesting assistance in communicating with Ocean Wolf, which had suffered an explosion in the engine room and was taking on water. Unknown at the time was the extent of damage and danger to the vessel — it was adrift and Tropical Storm Joyce was bearing down on its location.

02 Jul 2003

EMS Enters the SatCom Fray

Advances in communication services for ships and boats is expanding rapidly, keeping pace with development cycles of landside installations. Last autumn, Inmarsat unveiled Fleet F55 and Fleet F33, the two new members of the Fleet family designed to meet the communication needs of small to medium-sized vessels. Earlier this year, EMS SATCOM, a division of EMS Technologies, Inc., entered the maritime market with it pedigree of land-based communication solution expertise. At NorShipping in Oslo, the company announced that it has received full Inmarsat type-approval for its new Fleet 55 Maritime satellite terminal. EMS Technologies is a $310 million company with 1,800 employees worldwide. In 1968, Dr. John E.

13 Jan 2003

Satcom:Southbury LES:

If you are concerned about the effects of Satellite Communication service provider consolidation, you will like the Telenor/Comsat hook-up. If you care nothing about corporate takeovers, rather are focused on ensuring the availability of a strong satellite communication signal, always, you will like the Telenor/Comsat hook-up. In short, if you use satellite communications services, you will probably like and benefit from the Telenor/Comsat hook-up. Hardly "news," the integration of Comsat into the Telenor family has been evolving for a year, the latest metamorphosis of Comsat, a pioneer in delivering satellite communications for the safety of ships at sea. Upon visiting recently with Guy White, Telenor's Southbury, Conn.

15 Jun 2001

COMSAT Mobile Honored For Maritime Safety

COMSAT Mobile Communications (CMC) was honored with the Maritime Safety Award at the Seaman's Church Institute's 24th Annual Silver Bell Awards Dinner in New York City on June 14. In addition to noting CMC's variety of data, high-speed data and voice mobile satellite communications services, the Maritime Safety Award also recognized CMC's operators and their ability to respond effectively in emergency situations. Traditionally, the Seaman's Church Institute Maritime Safety Award is presented to groups or individuals at the Silver Bell Awards dinner in recognition of a specific event, such as a rescue or dedicated commitment to the industry…

23 Aug 2001

CMC Celebrates Earth Station's 25th Anniversary

COMSAT Mobile Communications' (CMC) Santa Paula, California, earth station is celebrating 25 years of continuous, around-the-clock operations, providing the critical communications link for customers on land, at sea, and in the air. CMC's west coast facility provides Inmarsat satellite communications coverage from western North America, across the Pacific Ocean and into Asia, the Pacific Rim nations, New Zealand, Australia, and the eastern Indian Ocean. The Santa Paula station has served as a principal communications lifeline providing instant communications to ships at sea, aircraft, and to people located in parts of the world where there is no communications infrastructure. For a quarter century, Santa Paula has often provided their sole means of contact with the rest of the world.

29 Oct 1999

Stratos Wins Protest of Five-Year Contract

The U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C. has granted the Stratos protest of a five-year U.S. Navy SPAWAR (Space and Naval Warfare) Inmarsat lease contract award to Comsat. The court ruled the contract awarded this past June was legally invalid, and required the U.S. Navy to retender its request for proposal for the five-year $111.9 million contract. The Court directed the Navy to conclude the recompetition by January 28, 2000. Stratos won phase one of the SPAWAR contract in August of 1998, and provided full-time Inmarsat-B 64 Kbps service to all deployed vessels in support of the Chief of Naval Operations' Information Technology for the 21st Century (IT-21) Project through July, 1999. IT-21 provides for the rapid exchange of information between Naval as well as Joint forces.

12 Nov 1999

Stratos Wins Protest of Five-Year Contract

The U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C. has granted the Stratos protest of a five-year U.S. Navy SPAWAR (Space and Naval Warfare) Inmarsat lease contract award to Comsat. The court ruled the contract awarded this past June was legally invalid, and required the U.S. Navy to retender its request for proposal for the five-year $111.9 million contract. The Court directed the Navy to conclude the recompetition by January 28, 2000. Stratos won phase one of the SPAWAR contract in August of 1998, and provided full-time Inmarsat-B 64 Kbps service to all deployed vessels in support of the Chief of Naval Operations' Information Technology for the 21st Century (IT-21) Project through July, 1999. IT-21 provides for the rapid exchange of information between Naval as well as Joint forces.

27 Jan 2000

Comsat Wins Contract with Cunard

Comsat Mobile Communications (CMC) has signed a three-year agreement with Cunard Line Limited to provide worldwide data and satellite communications for the Line's fleet of eight cruise vessels - including renowned Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE 2). Virtually doubling the capacity of satellite communications available to crew and passengers on all Cunard vessels, the increased capacity will allow for greater access to e-mail, online services and telephone service. Comsat is also supplying a new 128 kpbs C-Band service for QE 2, permitting simultaneous transmission of large amounts of data for Wide Area Networking, voice and dial-up data phone calls and Internet access.