Satellite and Broadcasting

Thuraya Telecommunications Company announced that Mr. Ahmed Al Shamsi, chief technology officer has been appointed as temporary acting chief executive officer of the company, assuming the role immediately.

New data from Eutelsat Communications shows that the trend towards High Definition broadcasting is accelerating in the Middle East and North Africa, reflecting consumer appetite for an enhanced viewing experience.

Es'hailSat, the Qatar Satellite Company and JASCO Media City announced the signing of framework agreement to launch a new MCPC platform to support the growing broadcast market in the Middle East. Under the terms of the agreement JASCO will provide bundled services including playout, compression and uplink together with satellite bandwidth on Es'hailSat Satellite.

NOORSAT, the largest private satellite service provider in the Arab World, is taking part in CABSAT 2017, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 21-23 March. As the pivotal professional broadcast, satellite and digital media event in the Arab World, CABSAT is exciting and interactive. It gives visitors and exhibitors the opportunity to understand trends in audience demand, to find solutions to accelerate business growth, to discover the latest innovations in this creative industry and to meet industry peers.

NorthTelecom is pleased to welcome Malaysian based leading telecommunication company ScopeTel as part of NorthTelecom Group.

Newtec, a specialist in designing, developing and manufacturing equipment and technologies for satellite communications, unveiled a number of new DVB-S2X wideband products for use in High Throughput Satellite (HTS) and global networks.

As the number of devices connected to the internet approaches tens of billions, satellite capacity and new solutions are necessary to cater for the increasing variety of applications these devices make possible, says Hussein Oteifa, general manager, Middle East, Commercial at SES, the global communications satellite operator based in Luxembourg. Oteifa spoke to Telecom Review about SES's partnerships and progress as a successful satellite operator, as a result of the increasing demand for satellite technology to cater to the explosion of connected devices around the world.

Government initiatives that fuel internet penetration, coupled with the explosive adoption of smartphones, are altering the way Middle East and North Africa (MENA) watch television (TV). Piracy continues to loom large over the industry and poses a massive challenge to the uptake of Pay TV services; however, consumer interest for high quality exclusive Arabic and international content over all screens will increase opportunities for the industry.

Yahlive and Entertainment Reality TV Hub (EARTH) today announced a new multimillion-dollar deal to launch a new Direct-to-Home (DTH) service in the UAE and KSA. The UAE-based satellite operator will serve five new communities, including Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans and Filipinos living in the GCC. The launch of the new set-top box is in line with Yahlive's strategy of bringing top quality in-demand news and entertainment content to different targeted communities.

Leading Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) operator Thuraya Telecommunications, announced that its groundbreaking Thuraya XT-PRO DUAL has been selected as the winner of the "Top Land Mobility Satcom Innovation" category in the Mobile Satellite Users Association's (MSUA) 2017 Mobility Innovation Awards.