ViaSat’s Exede: This is Not What They Promised
Posted by Steve Fravel on Monday, January 30, 2012 · 
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Existing users of ViaSat were pleased to learn that the new Exede service would be faster with more bandwidth. Exede has reportedly launched and, from early reports, those who have been waiting for the upgrade aren’t getting the new service yet. Instead, new subscribers are at the head of the line.
Additionally, the higher priced Exede comes with a few restrictions that have customers less-than-thrilled with the service. While the bandwidth is larger than before, the daily usage is capped. Called the “fair access policy or FAP,” the bandwidth cap is set to a lower total bandwidth than existing customer’s WildBlue service.
Considering the high cost for satellite service and a need to add new customers quickly, it is likely that any additional increase in speed or relaxation of the FAP restrictions will take time. Any improvement is good except when it comes with a crippling restriction.
ViaSat Releases New Details about its Next-Gen Service
Posted by Jesse Ward on Thursday, January 12, 2012 · ·
Earlier this week, ViaSat released some additional information about its new next-generation satellite service. The company plans to launch Exede by ViaSat on January 16 and it will include a theoretical maximum of 12 Mbps downstream and 3 Mbps upstream. The new residential broadband packages offer three tiers of prices and successively higher data caps: 7.5 GB for $49.99, 15 GB for $79.99, and 25 GB for $130.
ViaSat said that the Exede service also includes “advanced web acceleration technology” to provide an Internet web browsing experience with “feels like fiber” performance. Read more
Sen. Grassley Continues, LightSquared and Others on Hold
Posted by Steve Fravel on Thursday, January 12, 2012 · ·
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), has requested information from GPS companies in regard to communications between the investment group (Harbinger Capital Partners), the FCC and the White House prior to the granting of an ancillary terrestrial waiver to LightSquared. Sen. Grassely has given the GPS group, which includes Garmin and John Deere, a deadline of January 25. He has requested the same info from the FCC and Harbinger Capital Partners. Read more
Satellite Broadband Providers Announce Next-Gen Offerings
Posted by Jesse Ward on Monday, January 9, 2012 · (1) ·
The two largest U.S.-based satellite broadband providers made big announcements last week.
ViaSat, parent company to the WildBlue Internet service, announced that it has entered into a new five-year wholesale distribution agreement with the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC) for next-generation satellite broadband service through its new ViaSat-1 satellite, which was launched last October.
According to the company, the 140 Gbps capacity ViaSat-1 satellite will provide more capacity than all other communication satellites over the United States combined. Read more
More LightSquared Testing
Posted by Steve Fravel on Thursday, December 1, 2011 · ·
Testing results were provided to federal officials yesterday in the ongoing LightSquared quest to provide hybrid-terrestrial LTE services. Testing in the L-band spectrum on both cellular and GPS general navigation receivers has been completed at the request of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Read more
Dish Answers
Posted by Steve Fravel on Monday, October 31, 2011 · ·
Answering its opponents as much as filing reply comments in IB dockets 11-149 and 11-150, Dish Network made its case with the FCC and asked that the concerns raised by the various parties who had filed in opposition to its LTE plans be dismissed.
Briefly, this is what Dish Network has filed applications to do. (1) Approve the company’s applications to transfer control of DBSD and Terrestar spectrum licenses to Dish Network. (2) Grant Dish’s requested waiver and allow the modified ancillary terrestrial component authority, which will allow the company to only provide terrestrial service. (3) Waive the integrated service requirement and allow single-mode terrestrial devices on its proposed network. (4) Waive the FCC’s spare satellite mandate. (5) ”Harmonize” the TerreStar and DBSD regime to extend to the 2MHz MSS allocations previously granted to DBSD — in other words transfer DBSD’s allocations to Dish Network.
Dish Network indicates that all of these elements will allow for efficient and consistent use of the spectrum involved in support of a next- generation mobile broadband service, i.e. Dish’s plans for a 4G LTE network. Read more
ViaSat-1 Launch Successful
Posted by Jesse Ward on Friday, October 21, 2011 · ·
ViaSat announced that its new Ka-Band ViaSat-1 satellite was successfully launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on October 19.
ViaSat claims that this is the highest capacity satellite in the world. According to the company, ViaSat-1 promises to elevate satellite broadband service into a much more competitive position in the marketplace, with the capacity to serve the accelerating growth in bandwidth demand for multimedia Internet access over the next decade. It should allow WildBlue, who has had to turn customers away in recent years, the ability to add significantly more users.
The satellite will be raised to geosynchronous orbit 10 days after launch, with in-orbit testing expected to be completed 60 days after launch. It should be available for commercial service before year-end. Read more