REGULATORY — The Federal Communications Commission adopted its First Annual Report to Congress on the state of competition in the communications satellite services industry examining six wholesale and two retail markets from 2000-2006. The report provides history of the industry, identifies capacity and pricing aspects to the sector, and notes competition from terrestrial technologies. The FCC said that commercial satellite services continue to benefit U.S. consumers and government at all levels.

LEGAL — Starz Entertainment filed suit this week against Walt Disney’s Buena Vista Television for copyright infringement and breach of contract. Starz filed the suit in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California after Disney began to sell internet transmission rights for movies that it originally licensed exclusively to Starz.

SATELLITE — Sea Launch entered an agreement with SES to use the Land Launch vehicle, initially slated to launch the AMC-21 communications satellite, for the launch of another satellite of the SES group planned in mid-2009. Land Launch will use a Zenit-3SLB vehicle to launch the medium weight satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit from the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan.

TECHNOLOGY — ViaSat and DRS Technologies, under a contract with the U.S. Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) and Program Executive Office for C4I (PMW-750), demonstrated IP data connection from the cockpit of an F/A-18 jet fighter to a ground network. The data link uses ViaSat Multifunctional Information Distribution System LVT terminals modified to provide IP communications to and from an onboard DRS Airborne Tactical Server (ATS).

MISCELLANY — SES Americom announced that NewCom International signed a marketing agreement to add REDiSat to its comprehensive suite of communications solutions being offered to its customer base across the southeast. REDiSat offers enterprise satellite-delivered broadband capable of supporting voice and data services. NewCom is a teleport operator located in Miami, FL.

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