Dish will offer a $250 savings to customers who switch from DirecTV, the company said in a news release Tuesday. The promotion ends April 8, it said. The company released a series of promotional videos showing what customers are willing to do for $250. Customers will need to make a 24-month commitment with AutoPay and paperless billing, it said. "We deal with promotions like this all the time, and Dish has targeted us directly in the past without much success," a DirecTV spokesman said.
Sling TV, the live, over-the-top Internet TV service announced at CES (see 1501050037), is available nationwide, the company said in a news release Monday. Customers can watch live TV on computers, smartphones, tablets and TVs, it said. The company's $20 core package includes ABC Family, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, ESPN, ESPN2, the Food Network, HGTV, TBS and TNT, and additional sports channels can be added for a $5-per-month Sports Extra package, it said. Customers can watch ESPN and ESPN2 on the WatchESPN app with Internet-connected devices, it said. Sling TV also offers Kids Extra and News & Info Extra packages for $5 a month, it said.
The FCC International Bureau requested comment on the progress of the Open-Market Reorganization for the Betterment of International Telecommunications Act (Orbit Act), which was to promote a competitive global market for satellite communications services by privatizing Inmarsat and Intelsat, the bureau said in a public notice posted Wednesday in docket 15-16. The bureau is required to report annually on the Orbit Act to the House Commerce and International Relations committees and the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation, and Foreign Relations committees, the bureau said. Comments are due March 5, replies March 20.
Inmarsat supported the International Civil Aviation Organization’s recommendations to enhance aviation safety, the company said in a news release Friday. Inmarsat recommended countries voluntarily adopt a performance-based standard for global tracking of commercial aircraft. Inmarsat said automatic dependent surveillance-contract capabilities could offer flight tracking activities, and over 90 percent of wide-bodied trans-oceanic aircraft have equipment compatible for ADS-C use.
DirecTV started carrying Olympusat’s Cine Mexicano, a commercial-free network dedicated to Mexican movies, Olympusat said in a news release Tuesday. DirecTV customers can now find Cine Mexicano on Optimo Más, Más Ultra and Lo Maximo packages, it said.
Turkey satellite operator Turksat will use Hughes Network Systems' Jupiter high-throughput satellite ground system to enhance Turksat services in Turkey and surrounding countries in Europe and the Middle East, Hughes Europe said in a news release Tuesday. Turksat will provide high-speed Ka-band satellite services with the Jupiter ground system after it launches the Turksat 4B satellite, scheduled for early next year, Hughes said.
ViaSat again asked the FCC to reverse its summary rejection (see 1501060026) of the company’s application for the rural broadband experiments (RBE) auction and its summary denial of the company’s waiver request, ViaSat said in a reply comment filed in docket 10-90 Monday. The Wireline Bureau denied its application on Dec. 5 and denied 16 other petitions in a Friday order. ViaSat's bid was rejected because it "allegedly did not satisfy the 100 millisecond latency standard," but the company’s application stated that it would fulfill the RBE program requirements, it said. ViaSat said the bureau didn’t conduct the RBE reverse auction in a fair manner by failing to give its application a "hard look" and seeking comment for other waiver requests, but not its own. ViaSat argued against NTCA’s assertion that the company submitted its application improperly and ignored the legal significance of voice telephony service. The FCC declined to comment.
Dish Network began carrying El Rey Network, an English-language network founded by filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, on channel 253, the direct broadcast satellite company said in a news release Thursday.
Dish Network customers will be able to use the Reverse AutoHop feature on the Hopper DVR Monday to watch only the commercials from Sunday’s Super Bowl, Dish said in a news release Thursday. This requires customers to have the PrimeTime Anytime feature for NBC, it said.
DirecTV created a Severe Weather Mix channel solely for coverage of winter storm Juno, it said in a news release Tuesday. The channel, available on 205, 362-1 and 600, was to show customers nationwide national storm coverage on one screen from CNN, Fox News, HLN, MSNBC, WeatherNation and The Weather Channel, and was to remain until the storm passed, it said.