Displaying items by tag: satellite

A rocket that blasted off from French Guiana successfully placed two communications satellites into orbit Saturday, launch firm Arianespace said.

The Ariane 5 rocket took off at 2204 GMT from Kourou, the European Space Agency's space center in the South American territory, the company said in a statement.

Two satellites on board, belonging to the intergovernmental provider Intelsat and Japan's Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation, were later successfully placed into orbit, Arianespace said.  

The satellite will be used for direct-to-home services and will serve as a backup to another ultra-high definition satellite launched in 2017, called BSAT-4a.

A servicing vehicle that will dock with other satellites in orbit was also deployed, it added.

The launch, the first for Arianespace since activities at Kourou were halted in March due to the coronavirus, had originally been scheduled for July 28 but was delayed to allow for more "technical inspections".

Another delay followed due to "the unexpected behavior of one sensor" for a liquid hydrogen tank.

The launch was delayed for a third time due to unfavorable wind conditions.

Arianespace also launched the Galaxy 30 satellite for Intelsat as part of a larger bid to replace the aging North American Galaxy set of satellites for broadcast services.

Galaxy 30 and other satellites of its group will provide services such as ultra-high definition broadcasts, over-the-top service to allow consumers to directly stream from the satellite, and a range of other services for broadband, mobile and enterprise.

Iridium Communications reported financial results for the first quarter of 2020 and updated its full-year 2020 outlook. Net loss was $31.7 million, or $0.24 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2020, as compared to net loss of $18.0 million, or $0.18 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2019.

This increase in net loss was primarily the result of debt extinguishment costs associated with Iridium’s refinancing of its senior unsecured notes. Operational EBITDA for the first quarter was $92.1 million, as compared to $78.0 million for the prior-year period, representing a year-over-year increase of 18% and an operational EBITDA margin of 63%.

Iridium reported first-quarter total revenue of $145.3 million, which consisted of $116.0 million of service revenue and $29.3 million of revenue related to equipment sales and engineering and support projects. Total revenue increased 9% from the comparable period of 2019, while service revenue grew 8% from the year-ago period. Service revenue, which represents primarily recurring revenue from Iridium’s growing subscriber base, was 80% of total revenue for the first quarter of 2020.

The Company ended the quarter with 1,332,000 total billable subscribers, which compares to 1,151,000 for the year-ago period and is up from 1,300,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2019. Total billable subscribers grew 16% year-over-year, driven by growth in commercial and government IoT customers.

“In the first quarter, Iridium delivered solid growth in total revenue and billable subscribers, driven by strong gains in service revenue, engineering and support services, and equipment sales. New revenue from Iridium Certus^® broadband, along with increases in contractual revenue from the U.S. government and Aireon also aided our results,” said Matt Desch, CEO, Iridium. Desch added, “Iridium is pleased to have completed all planned refinancing activities in recent months, and we remain confident in our ability to generate significant free cash flow in 2020 and beyond. Accordingly, we continue to be committed to undertaking shareholder-friendly activities in due course.”

Commenting on the impact of COVID-19 to the business, Desch said, “In March we began to see a reduction in the pace of subscriber additions, and heard from some of our many partners about varying levels of business impact depending on their industry. Into April, these trends accelerated. While we continue to forecast overall growth in service revenue and Operational EBITDA for 2020, we are updating our full-year outlook to account for these unfavorable impacts.”

Desch continued, “Iridium’s satellite services are used for mission-critical applications across the globe, and our revenue base has, historically, been more resilient than many businesses to exogenous shocks and economic cycles, though the current economic shutdown is unprecedented. The timing of the shutdown coincides with Iridium’s peak season and will impact us accordingly. Still, we remain confident in Iridium’s ongoing financial position and our capacity to generate significant free cash flow.”

Commercial service remained the largest part of Iridium’s business, representing 63% of the Company’s total revenue during the first quarter. The Company’s commercial customer base is diverse and includes markets such as maritime, aviation, oil and gas, mining, recreation, forestry, construction, transportation and emergency services. These customers rely on Iridium’s products and services as critical to their daily operations and integral to their communications and business infrastructure.

Commercial service revenue was $91.0 million, up 7% from last year’s comparable period due to an increase in revenue primarily from hosted payload and other data services, broadband and IoT.

Commercial voice and data subscribers were up 1% from the year-ago period to 351,000 customers. Commercial voice and data average revenue per user (“ARPU”) was $40 during the first quarter, unchanged from last year’s comparable period. Commercial IoT data subscribers grew 22% from the year-ago period to 830,000 customers, driven by continued strength in consumer personal communications and tracking devices. Commercial IoT data ARPU was $9.71 in the first quarter, compared to $11.32 in last year’s comparable period.

Commercial broadband revenue was $8.7 million, up from $6.8 million in the year-ago period. This rise was primarily attributable to the introduction of Iridium Certus broadband service. Commercial broadband average revenue per user (“ARPU”) was $267 during the first quarter, compared to $233 in last year’s comparable period.

Iridium’s commercial business ended the quarter with 1,192,000 billable subscribers, which compares to 1,036,000 for the year-ago period and is up from 1,165,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2019. IoT data subscribers represented 70% of billable commercial subscribers at the end of the quarter, an increase from 65% at the end of the prior-year period.

Hosted payload and other data service revenue was $16.3 million in the first quarter compared to $13.9 million in the prior-year period, which was primarily due to increased Aireon data service fees related to a contractual step-up. 

Iridium’s voice and data solutions improve situational awareness for military personnel and track critical assets in tough environments around the globe, providing a unique value proposition that is not easily duplicated.

Under the Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services contract (the “EMSS Contract”), a seven-year, $738.5 million fixed-price airtime contract with the U.S. Air Force Space Command signed in September 2019, Iridium provides specified satellite airtime services, including unlimited global standard and secure voice, paging, fax, Short Burst Data^®, Iridium Burst^®, RUDICS and Distributed Tactical Communications System services for an unlimited number of Department of Defense and other federal government subscribers. Iridium also provides maintenance and support work for the U.S. government’s dedicated Iridium gateway under two other contracts with the U.S. Air Force Space Command. Iridium Certus airtime services are not included under these contracts and may be procured separately for an additional fee.

Government service revenue was $25.0 million and reflected increased revenue from the Company’s EMSS Contract.

Iridium’s government business ended the quarter with 140,000 subscribers, which compares to 115,000 for the year-ago period and is up from 135,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2019. Government voice and data subscribers rose 11% from the year-ago period to 59,000 as of March 31, 2020. IoT data subscribers increased 31% year-over-year and represented 58% of government subscribers, an increase from 54% at the end of the prior-year period.

Equipment revenue was $22.3 million during the first quarter, up 6% from the prior-year period.

Due to the combined effects of the current global shutdown, deterioration in the oil and gas market, and strength of the U.S. dollar, the Company now expects full-year equipment sales will be down from 2019 levels.

Engineering and support revenue was $7.0 million during the first quarter, compared to $5.7 million in the prior year’s quarter, primarily due to an increase in the volume of contracted work.

Capital expenditures were $9.5 million for the first quarter, which includes $1.2 million of capitalized interest. The Company ended the first quarter with gross debt of $1.65 billion and a cash and cash equivalents balance of $67.3 million, for a net debt balance of $1.58 billion.

Two noteworthy transactions have impacted the structure of Iridium’s debt financing over the last two quarters. In November 2019, the Company entered into a seven-year, $1.45 billion secured Term Loan. The proceeds of the Term Loan, along with the cash in the Company’s debt service reserve account and cash on hand, were used to prepay all of the indebtedness outstanding under its BPIAE Facility and premiums for early prepayment, net of amounts refunded, of $48.9 million. On February 7, 2020, the Company closed on an additional $200.0 million under its Term Loan. On February 13, 2020, the Company used the proceeds of this transaction, together with cash on hand, to prepay all of the $360.0 million in indebtedness outstanding under the Company’s senior unsecured notes, premiums for early prepayment of $23.5 million, and accrued interest.

Given the current global shutdown and macroeconomic uncertainties, the Company updated its full-year 2020 outlook and currently anticipates:

• Growth in total service revenue for full-year 2020. Total service revenue for 2019 was $447.2 million.
• Growth in OEBITDA for full-year 2020. OEBITDA for 2019 was $331.7 million.
• Negligible cash taxes in 2020. Cash taxes are expected to be negligible through approximately 2023.
• Net leverage of no more than 4.4 times OEBITDA at the end of 2020. Net leverage was 4.8 times OEBITDA at December 31, 2019.

After months of consideration, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has finally granted SpaceX a license for up to a million terminals that would work on the ground with the company’s Starlink satellite constellation to deliver global broadband internet service.

The license, which runs until March 2035, permits Starlink to install the 48cm diameter dishes anywhere in the continental US, plus Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Isles.

Unlike normal licenses, which specify very precise locations, the FCC has given SpaceX permission for “blanket earth stations”.

Word of the 15-year license’s approval came in a public notice issued by the FCC. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has described the plug-and-point terminals, which are made in California, as looking like a “thin, flat, round UFO on a stick.”

The satellites, orbiting between 328km and 580km above the Earth’s surface, making the round-trip ground-satellite-ground latency around 30ms, will provide global coverage – meaning SpaceX will need to apply for licenses everywhere it plans to operate.

The company says: “Starlink is targeting service in the Northern US and Canada in 2020, rapidly expanding to near global coverage of the populated world by 2021.”

There are already 360 Starlink satellites in orbit, though it is unclear how many of that number have failed to work correctly. SpaceX is making them at a reported rate of six a day.

MEF has announced the 15 MEF 3.0 Proof of Concept (PoC) demonstration teams selected to participate in the sixth annual MEF 3.0 PoC Showcase at MEF19, held 18-22 November 2019 at the JW Marriott LA LIVE in Los Angeles, California.

The Showcase will bring together 46 of the world’s leading service and technology providers to present groundbreaking demonstrations of SD-WAN, inter-provider and intra-provider service automation with LSO APIs, AI/ML, security, intent-based networking, Blockchain, Carrier Ethernet, satellite services, 5G, network slicing, IoT, private cloud, service assurance, and more.

“This has been an extraordinary year of innovation as industry players strive toward a common goal of accelerating adoption of dynamic and assured services across automated, virtualized, and interconnected networks,” said Pascal Menezes, CTO, MEF.

He continued, “We look forward to the PoC teams spotlighting the huge progress being made in MEF 3.0 service and technology development and implementation.” 

“It has been a pleasure working directly with top service and technology experts from around world who are participating in the MEF 3.0 PoC Showcase,” said Daniel Bar-Lev, Director, Office of the CTO, MEF.

“The PoCs are always a highlight for our annual event, and I’m extremely excited about what we have in store for MEF19. This year’s Showcase will provide invaluable insight that enterprises, service providers, and technology companies need to successfully navigate on their digital transformation journey.”

The 2019 MEF 3.0 PoC Showcase participants and their demonstration themes include:

Colt Technology Services, PCCW Global, Sparkle, Tata Communications, Accedian Amartus, and Clear Blockchain Technologies: Standardization of Blockchain Billing and Settlement Utilizing MEF 3.0 Framework

PCCW Global, DCConnect Global, and R3: Automated Inter-Carrier Credit Ratings Using Blockchain

NTT Communications, ADVA, NEC/Netcracker, Silver Peak, Spirent Communications, and Versa Networks: Orchestrated Virtualized Multivendor SD-WAN Services

Comcast Business, Cox Business, Ciena, and Nokia Networks: MEF SOAM for High Value Multi-Operator Carrier Ethernet Services

Spectrum Enterprise, Equinix, Nefeli Networks, Nokia Networks, and Vitria: Intelligent, Intent-Based Network Scaling Using IoT Services

AT&T, Fortinet, and Nokia Networks: Slicing the Edge

CMC Networks, Intelsat, Nokia/Nuage Networks, Infovista, Cloudify, and Kontron: SD-WAN over Satellite Access

BT, ADVA, and Infovista with radio support from Accelleran, Attocore, and Radisys: Wholesale Network Slicing for 5G Access

Equinix, Unitas Global, and Ciena: AI-Driven Federated Domain Operations for Ultra Resilient Services

Tata Communications Transformation Services (TCTS), Fortinet, and Spirent Communications: Security Assurance in SD-WAN Application Flows (“The Protectors”)

CenturyLink, Telia Carrier, and Infinera: AI/ML and Policy Driven Networks for the LSO-Based Architecture

CenturyLink, Spirent Communications, and Versa Networks: SD-WAN Services and API Automated Certification

Amdocs and Cisco: Private Enterprise Networks

TELUS, Ekinops, and Inmanta: Multi-Domain Orchestration of MPLS, SD-WAN and Cloud Services

NTT Communications, NTT Labs, and Okinawa Open Laboratory: 5G xHaul Sharing as Slices with LSO Orchestration

MEF will be hosting a special MEF 3.0 PoC Awards Ceremony at 6:40pm – 7:00pm on Wednesday, 20 November, in the MEF19 Networking Hall. These awards will recognize leadership and innovation across multiple categories.

In-flight broadband has the potential to unlock a $5.2 billion market within the Middle East region by 2035, finds new data released from the 'Sky High Economics: Quantifying the commercial opportunities of passenger connectivity for the global airline industry' report.

Carried out by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in association with global mobile satellite communications provider Inmarsat, the study forecasts that airlines in the region will take a $1.3 billion share of the boost in ancillary revenues.

Based on current IATA data and industry sources, Sky High Economics shows that airlines around the world will benefit from four new revenue streams, including broadband access charges - providing connectivity to passengers in-flight.

Airlines will also benefit from e-commerce and destination shopping - making purchases on-board aircraft with expanded product ranges and real-time offers; advertising - pay-per-click, impressions, sponsorship deals with advertisers; and premium content - providing live content, on demand video and bundled W-IFEC access.

The research argues that as passenger numbers grow globally, so too will passenger expectations for access to high-quality in-flight connectivity. The data shows that when it comes to passenger value brought about by new Wi-Fi enabled ancillary revenue streams, airlines will benefit from an extra $3.21 per passenger. At present, airlines around the world average an additional $17 per passenger from 'traditional' ancillary services like duty free purchases and in-flight retail, food and drink sales.

Also, despite the gradual blurring that has occurred in the airline type selected by many business passengers, the Middle East region continues to represent one of the higher revenue opportunities for both domestic and international FSCs (Full Service Carriers) - in 2035, the split is LCC (Low Cost Carriers) at $239m vs. FSC at $511m. The research confirms the very strong position many global FSCs have that are based there.

“The airline industry is rapidly evolving across the world, including the Middle East,” said Dr. Alexander Grous (B. Ec, MBA, M.Com, MA, PhD.), Department of Media and Communications, LSE and author of Sky High Economics. “This research shows that airlines have a clear strategic opportunity to become distinctly more retail-focused and reap the benefits of this.”

Ben Griffin, Vice President, Middle East, Africa and South Asia at Inmarsat Aviation, said the latest advancements in satellite technology have “unlocked exciting new opportunities for airlines to enhance their passenger experience, increase their operational efficiencies and grow important new revenue streams.”

Griffin added, “Having the right capabilities in place - from the cabin to the cockpit - is the key to benefitting from everything that a connected aircraft can offer, today and in the future. As the Sky High Economics report has identified, airlines in the Middle East are extremely well positioned to take a lead with the game-changing new trend.”

Inmarsat said it aims to transform the global aviation industry by bringing complete connectivity to every aircraft and flight path in the world. It is the first and only provider with a complete next-generation High-Throughput Satellite (HTS) network spanning the world. Inmarsat also claims to be the only aviation broadband provider capable of connecting the complete aircraft from cabin to cockpit.

Inmarsat's passenger solutions are complemented by its certified safety and operations services. GX Aviation is the world's first global, high-speed in-flight broadband service from a single operator. It allows airline passengers to browse the internet, stream videos, check social media and more during flights, with an on-board connectivity experience on par with mobile broadband services available on the ground.

New Zealand has trumped Australia in the space race. American-New Zealand aerospace manufacturer Rocket Lab successfully reached orbit with the test flight of its second Electron orbital launch vehicle, ‘Still Testing’, on January 21. Electron lifted-off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on the Māhia Peninsula in New Zealand.

Following successful first and second stage burns, Electron reached orbit and deployed customer payloads at 8 minutes and 31 seconds after lift-off.

“Today marks the beginning of a new era in commercial access to space. We’re thrilled to reach this milestone so quickly after our first test launch,” said Rocket Lab CEO and founder from New Zealand Peter Beck. “Our incredibly dedicated and talented team has worked tirelessly to develop, build and launch Electron. I’m immensely proud of what they have achieved today.”

Beck added, “Reaching orbit on a second test flight is significant on its own, but successfully deploying customer payloads so early in a new rocket program is almost unprecedented. Rocket Lab was founded on the principal of opening access to space to better understand our planet and improve life on it. Today we took a significant step towards that.”

Unlike big companies like Elon Musk's Space X, which use government launch sites, Rocket Labs claims to be the first company to launch its own rocket from its own launch pad. There are reportedly similar plans afoot in Australia, with a launch site allocated in the Northern Territory and tests expected in a year.

In the coming weeks, Rocket Lab engineers will analyze the data from the launch to inform future launches. Rocket Lab currently has five Electron vehicles in production, with the next launch expected to take place in early 2018. At full production, Rocket Lab expects to launch more than 50 times a year, and is regulated to launch up to 120 times a year, more than any other commercial or government launch provider in history.

‘Still Testing’ was carrying a Dove Pioneer Earth-imaging satellite for launch customer Planet, as well as two Lemur-2 satellites for weather and ship tracking company Spire. Rocket Lab’s commercial phase will see Electron fly already-signed customers including NASA, Spire, Planet, Moon Express and Spaceflight.

UAE based satellite operator Yahsat announced the successful trial of a 50Mbps in-flight connection that will change the way passengers experience air travel. The result of a unique partnership between Yahsat, du, Etihad Airways Engineering, Hughes Network Systems and Carlisle Interconnect, the high-speed broadband offering will be available for airlines to offer its passengers within the next year.

Using Yahsat’s Al Yah 2 satellite, and the latest generation Ka-band technology, the test took place in Abu Dhabi, simulating the environment found on an Airbus A320 aircraft. This new level of performance for in-flight connectivity (IFC) will mean passengers have an in-flight browsing experience similar to the service available in their home or office, including access to HD streaming content, social media, online shopping and the ability to connect with friends and family via messaging apps.

"We are incredibly proud to have brought together leading Emirati and global companies to achieve this milestone,” said Masood M. Sharif Mahmood, Chief Executive Officer of Yahsat. “It paves the way for Yahsat to bring further breakthrough technologies to the markets and segments it serves, adding another key pillar to Yahsat’s portfolio of market leading services and solutions.”

Following this successful test, selected guests will be invited to experience the ultra- fast connectivity for themselves, onboard an Etihad Airways Flying Testbed Airbus A320 aircraft at the Dubai Airshow taking place from the 12th to 16th of November. Subsequently, Yahsat and its partners plan to execute the key next steps over the coming year to rollout the solution to commercial airliners across the Middle East, and beyond.

Saleem Al Blooshi, Chief Infrastructure Officer at du said the operator’s partnership with Yahsat is a “testament to our commitment towards adding life to life through innovative new technologies, and we are pleased to be a part of such a monumental step in aviation history. This partnership will allow us to establish the necessary infrastructure needed to keep passengers comfortably connected in the air through the latest and most advanced in-flight connectivity.”

Al Blooshi added, “We believe that together we will set the benchmark for high speed WiFi in the air and we look forward to enhancing our customer experiences like never before. Furthermore, we are introducing our state of the art Data Analytics as well as our Backend systems to this innovative In-Flight WiFi which enables the Airline Industry to use such analytics of the user behavior to enhance even further the customer experiences on board airplanes.”

Uzbekistan’s State Unitary Enterprise ‘Centre of Radio Communication, Broadcasting and Television’ (SUE CRRT) announced it will rely on SES Video for the upcoming launch of its first DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television) multiplex, using NSS-12 at 57 degrees East to transmit TV signals to all head-ends of its DTT network.

Under the multi-year agreement announced by satellite operator SES, SUE CRRT, which is Uzbekistan’s sole operator of analogue and terrestrial TV distribution, has contracted satellite capacity to deliver a minimum of 12 free-to-air TV channels in standard definition and four radio channels from Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, to all DTT head-ends throughout the country.

“The launch of our first digital terrestrial multiplex is a significant step forward for the analog switchover process in Uzbekistan,” said Mr. Turgunov M., Technical Director at SUE CRRT. “Our network will cover the entire territory, offering new viewing possibilities to a potential audience of 31.5 million people. As Uzbekistan is one of the largest countries in Central Asia, with desert and mountainous areas, satellite is the only reliable technology that can enable us to reach the entire population as well as neighboring countries, and beyond.”  

“SUE CRRT already entrusted SES with the carriage of state TV and radio channels for DTH and cable contribution two years ago, and this new contract clearly underscores SES’s position as the satellite provider of choice for Central Asia, more particularly the Republic of Uzbekistan,” said Norbert Hölzle, Senior Vice President, Commercial Europe at SES Video. “We look forward to supporting the Republic of Uzbekistan in the launch of its DTT multiplex with the help of satellite and in its journey towards digital television.”

Satellite operator Intelsat and Etisalat have announced plans to expand the distribution of Intelsat EpicNG services in the Middle East. Under a multiyear expansion, Etisalat will upgrade its network to deliver higher performance to customers in the region using the Intelsat 33e high-throughput satellite. Concurrently, Intelsat will leverage Etisalat’s teleport in Dubai as an expansion node of the IntelsatOne Flex service.

The teleport acts as an extension to Etisalat’s Smart Hub services. Equipped with the latest technologies and platforms, it serves as one of the globe’s major satellite hubs, hosting more than 40 antennas. This will expand options in the region to benefit from Intelsat EpicNG high-throughput services.

Intelsat EpicNG, according to Intelsat, is a high performance, next generation satellite platform that delivers global high-throughput technology without sacrificing user control of service elements and hardware.

“This agreement with Intelsat will introduce a new level of cooperation to our long-term relationship,” said Ali Amiri, Group Chief Carrier & Wholesale Officer, Etisalat. “Leveraging the innovative Intelsat EpicNG platform and IntelsatOne Flex managed services, we will be able to deliver new, more powerful applications to our current customers as well as address new verticals.”

Kurt Riegelman, Intelsat’s Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, said, “Intelsat sought to build upon its already strong relationship with Etisalat as we developed our global footprint for the IntelsatOneFlex managed broadband service.”

Riegelman added, “Etisalat will be an important distributor of Intelsat EpicNG services and capabilities for customers throughout the Middle East and into Africa and Asia. Intelsat’s innovations, including Intelsat EpicNG, are unlocking new opportunities for our customers and distributors. Our expanded relationship with Etisalat will result in new applications as well as better services for customers throughout the region.”

<p>Bluesky Cook Islands, the  sole provider of fixed phone, mobile and broadband services to the Cook  Islands, has increased the amount of satellite capacity it is using from SES  Networks, in order to launch 4G+ service to Rarotonga and Aitutaki, the two key  cities of the island nation.<br><br>

  In the announcement made by  SES, the increased capacity delivered on the low latency, high throughput O3b  Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) fleet will also allow the extension of 4G/LTE mobile  backhaul service to the country&rsquo;s outer islands, and faster and dedicated  broadband service for the Cook Islands Ministry of Education. <br><br>

  The Cook Islands was the  first market to use SES Networks&rsquo; O3b MEO satellite system in 2014 to deliver  3G/ 4G services to the remote nation. The island  nation is considered a &lsquo;<strong>Fast Grower&rsquo;</strong>&nbsp;market in Polynesia with a single operator and&nbsp;<strong>8.9 thousand  mobile connections</strong><strong>,</strong> according to GSMA  Intelligence. <br><br>

  The new agreement signed  with SES Networks is part of Bluesky Cook Islands&rsquo; substantial network upgrade.  The launch of 4G+, currently the world&rsquo;s fastest commercial mobile network  technology, demonstrates Bluesky&rsquo;s ongoing commitment to offer new and  innovative products and services to its customers.<br><br>

  The Cook Islands Ministry of  Education will use the increased and faster connectivity from Bluesky to  enhance educational programs which will directly benefit the learning  experience for students of all ages across the country. <br><br>

  Bluesky and the Ministry are  jointly developing a virtual education network portal, enabling students, teachers  and institutions to exchange educational and teacher training material, develop  additional curricular content material and promote a new culture of information  and communication.<br><br>

  &ldquo;By bringing 4G+ technology  to Rarotonga and Aitutaki, we are offering our local consumers and business  customers a better mobile data experience which will translate into  productivity improvements, expanded business opportunities, and exciting new  entertainment options,&rdquo; said Bluesky Country Manager, Phillip Henderson. <br><br>

  &ldquo;The O3b fleet, instrumental  in providing the fiber-equivalent performance needed to roll out the 4G+  service, has made an enormous difference to our subscribers over the last three  years,&rdquo; Henderson added. </p>