Comtech obtained a $1 million contract for satellite mobile backhaul equipment from an unidentified mobile network operator in Africa. The equipment will be used for a network upgrade “that will transport and optimize voice and data communications, and facilitate subscriber growth” in the Republic of Congo, Comtech said Monday in a news release (http://bit.ly/1jMIvd5). The order included requests for advanced satellite modems and modem redundancy switches, it said.

Thuraya launched Atlas IP, maritime-focused satellite terminal. It’s designed to complement the Thuraya Orion IP broadband terminal “by offering a fully-featured voice and data product with additional functionality built in,” Thuraya said Monday in a news release (http://bit.ly/1pMoVmj). The terminal offers features “designed to support improved communications functionality and enhance shipboard operations,” it said. It’s capable of standard IP data transfer at rates up to 444 kbps and asymmetric streaming capability of 16 kbps-384 kbps, it said.

Dish Network customers will be able to pay with bitcoin starting in Q3, said a company news release (http://bit.ly/1ozfY2n) Thursday. Dish is the first “subscription model pay-TV provider” to use the digital currency, it said. Bitcoin payment processor Coinbase “will help DISH make the payment experience easy for our customers and make it easy for DISH to receive immediate credit in dollars, at an attractive cost for DISH,” said Dish Chief Operating Officer Bernie Han.

Eutelsat successfully launched Eutelsat 3B on a Zenit-3SL rocket. The satellite was launched from a platform in the Pacific Ocean Monday, Eutelsat said Tuesday in a news release (http://bit.ly/1nskdwW). Following early orbit operations, the satellite “will undergo a full series of in-orbit tests,” it said. The satellite is expected to enter full commercial service in July, Eutelsat said.

The Satellite Industry Association repeated concerns for a proposed secondary air-to-ground (ATG) mobile broadband service in the 14.0-14.5 GHz band. Recent developments, like AT&T’s plans to build a new 4G LTE ATG system, “undercut the alleged need for access to new spectrum for air-ground broadband operations,” SIA said in an ex parte filing posted Thursday in docket RM-11640 (http://bit.ly/1nvdDRQ). Demand for broadband in-flight connectivity will be met with primary spectrum allocations, “without the need to craft a complicated sharing regime between technically diverse secondary and primary services,” it said. Qualcomm proposed the ATG service and the FCC issued an NPRM based on that request. Qualcomm’s suggested revisions to the aeronautical mobile service “are based on unrealistic assumptions regarding satellite networks,” SIA said. They don’t provide for adequate enforcement of the limits necessary to protect the primary fixed satellite service, it said.

Astrium requested special temporary authority to operate a 4.8-meter Ku-band hub antenna at its Southbury, Connecticut, teleport. Astrium plans to provide service to remote Ku-band very small aperture terminal antennas and operate remote antennas “to provide service pursuant to its call sign WB36 license Ku-band ESV [earth stations on vessels] authorizations,” it said in an application to the FCC International Bureau (http://bit.ly/R5ywrS).

The International Trade Commission voted Monday to begin a Section 337 Tariff Act investigation into whether imports of set-top boxes, gateways, bridges and adapters are infringing patents held by ViXS Systems, said an ITC news release (http://1.usa.gov/1lKZcrU). ViXS requested the investigation in April, alleging DirecTV and Entropic Communications and some Taiwanese companies are infringing ViXS’ patented technologies that allow multiple devices in a household to get cable or satellite TV and access recorded content through a single set-top box. ViXS asked the ITC to issue limited exclusion orders and cease and desist orders banning import and sale of infringing boxes. DirecTV and Entropic spokesmen declined to comment.

World satellite industry revenue rose 3.4 percent in 2013 to $195.2 billion, said a Satellite Industry Association report. The largest growth was in the satellite services segment, with a nearly $7 billion increase in revenue, SIA said in a news release Monday on its State of the Satellite Industry Report (http://bit.ly/1lVRo8c). SIA said that increase was driven by continued growth in consumer satellite television services. Manufacturing revenue reached $15.7 billion, but launch revenue dropped 7 percent, it said. Revenue from satellite ground equipment had a slight increase of 1 percent to $55.5 billion, SIA said. U.S. satellite market revenue grew 5 percent to $85.9 billion, with manufacturing reaching $10.9 billion mainly due to the delivery of a large number of high-value satellites for U.S. government customers, it said. Fixed satellite services worldwide remained flat, while mobile satellite services grew 6 percent, the report said. Commercially procured launches worldwide increased to 62, up from 59 launches in 2012, said SIA. “Government customers worldwide remained the major satellite launch revenue driver, reaching 70 percent of commercially-procured satellite launch revenues, up from 64 percent in 2012.” The U.S. had the largest share of the launch revenue, with more than 70 percent of the revenue coming from the launch of U.S. government satellites, it said. The report was prepared by The Tauri Group, which polled more than 80 satellite companies, SIA said.

DirecTV asked the FCC for confidential treatment of video clips from its “Short Cuts” product. The firm no longer has the copyrights needed to support public display of these clips and the company would like them to be withheld from public inspection, it said in an ex parte filing posted Thursday to docket 11-154 (http://bit.ly/1sS4E0w). The DBS company provided the commission with the clips via IP during the 2013-2014 season as part of its NFL Sunday Ticket Max service, it said. “They are no longer available to the public from DIRECTV, and should not be made available indirectly through the Commission’s website."

Hughes and Xplornet signed an agreement to provide satellite broadband services to Canada on EchoStar 19 capacity. The next-generation high throughput satellite is due to launch in 2016, Hughes’ parent company EchoStar and Xplornet said Wednesday in a news release (http://bit.ly/1strn0N). Under the agreement, Xplornet also “will take delivery of satellite gateways, operational and support services, and consumer user terminals in a program that is expected to be worth more than $200 million,” it said. Xplornet expects the capacity to enable it to meet the growing demands of its rural customers, it said.