Satellite broadband provider WildBlue (WB) has hit a snag in its plan to provide 25 million rural households Internet access beginning in 2005. The company, backed by Telesat Canada and the National Rural Telecom Cooperative, told the FCC Mon. that despite completion of its first satellite and attainment of a launch contract with Arianespace, its bird must stay grounded for now. “Remaining uncertainty” has precluded WB from securing a launch date that would meet an FCC milestone, justifying a request for an 18-month extension, officials said. Final testing of WildBlue-1 revealed defects that manufacturer Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) is expected to fix before the March 2005 deadline. However, the spacecraft has a design similar to Intelsat’s Americas-7 that recently suffered a malfunction in orbit and was almost lost entirely (CD Dec 2 p13, Nov 30 p3). WB said SS/L is reviewing the IA-7 case to determine what, if any, design changes should be made to satellites under construction to reduce the chance of similar problems. SS/L’s review is in its “most preliminary stage,” and there’s no way to know when the review will be completed, WB said. The company asked the FCC for a milestone extension to Dec. 25, 2006.
Satellite broadband provider WildBlue has hit a snag in its plan to provide 25 million rural households Internet access beginning in 2005. The company, backed by Telesat Canada and the National Rural Telecom Cooperative, told the FCC Mon. that despite completion of its first satellite and attainment of a launch contract with Arianespace, its bird must stay grounded for now. “Remaining uncertainty” has precluded WildBlue from securing a launch date that would meet an FCC milestone, justifying a request for an 18-month extension, officials said. Final testing of WildBlue-1 revealed defects that manufacturer Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) is expected to fix before the March 2005 deadline. However, the spacecraft has a design similar to Intelsat’s Americas-7 that recently suffered a malfunction in orbit and was almost lost entirely. WildBlue said SS/L is reviewing the IA-7 case to determine what, if any, design changes should be made to satellites under construction to reduce the chance of similar problems. SS/L’s review is in its “most preliminary stage,” and there’s no way to know when the review will be completed, WildBlue said. The company asked the FCC for a milestone extension to Dec. 25, 2006.
The International Trade Administration (ITA) frequently issues notices on antidumping (AD) and countervailing (CV) duty orders which Broker Power considers to be "minor" in importance as they concern actions that occur after an order is issued and neither announce nor cause any changes to an order's duty rates, scope, affected firms, or effective period.
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has made a preliminary affirmative antidumping (AD) duty determination that chlorinated isocyanurates from China are being, or are likely to be, sold in the U.S. at less than fair value.
In its first week available, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment’s comedy Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story was the #1-rented DVD in the U.S., Rentrak said its preliminary Home Video Essentials data for the week ended Dec. 12 showed. The title earned $9.88 million on DVD in rentals, Rentrak said. The only other new release in the top 10 was #2 The Bourne Supremacy from Universal Home Video, which followed closely at $9.80 million. Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment’s Spider-Man 2 -- the previous week’s #1-rented title -- dropped to #3, earning an additional $6.08 million on DVD, for $15.56 million to date.
Take-Two Interactive’s PS2 game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was again the top-rented videogame in the U.S., in its 7th week available, Rentrak said its preliminary Home Video Essentials data for the week ended Dec. 12 showed. Rentrak said the game earned an additional $848,779 in the week, for $7.53 million to date. Microsoft’s Xbox game Halo 2 -- the previous week’s #2-rented title -- dropped one to #3 its 5th week, earning an additional $305,121, for $3 million to date. It was replaced by Need for Speed Underground 2 for PS2 from Electronic Arts (EA), which moved up one in its 4th week, earning an additional $402,887, for $1.63 million to date. EA had 2 other SKUs in the top 10: The Xbox version of Need at #5 (down one, an additional $213,265 and $1.03 million to date) and Madden NFL 2005 for PS2 at #8 in its 18th week ($172,850 and $4.98 million). The only other publisher with more than one SKU in the top 10 was Activision, with 2, both for PS2: Call of Duty: Finest Hour at #6 again in its 4th week ($198,867 and $890,744) and Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 at #10 in its 10th week ($132,858 and $2.48 million). Rounding out the top 10 were 3 more PS2 titles: Atari’s Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 at #4 (up one, 3rd week, $213,861 and $702,635), THQ’s WWE Smackdown! Vs. Raw at #7 (up one, 6th week, $194,401 and $1.38 million) and Konami’s Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater at #9 (down 2, 6th week, $162,072 and $722,114).
The International Trade Administration (ITA) frequently issues notices on antidumping (AD) and countervailing (CV) duty orders which Broker Power considers to be "minor" in importance as they concern actions that occur after an order is issued and neither announce nor cause any changes to an order's duty rates, scope, affected firms, or effective period.
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued the preliminary results of the following antidumping (AD) duty administrative reviews:
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued the final results of the antidumping (AD) duty administrative review of stainless steel plate in coils from Belgium for the period of May 1, 2002 through April 30, 2003.
The FCC released a public notice seeking comment on a new study on bird deaths and wireless towers by Avatar Environmental. The study calls for a multiyear research program and asks for industry groups and others interested to file comments by Jan. 13 on its findings. The latest study is expected to reignite the debate on bird deaths and wireless towers.