If DirecTV fails to act on acquisition and partnership opportunities in Latin America this year, its options might be limited in the future, a BTIG Research analyst said. Brazil’s TIM and Global Village Telecom, and Virginia-based NII Holdings, “are all likely up for sale and could jumpstart DirecTV’s broadband offering at a critical time in the global communications industry,” said wireless analyst Walter Piecyk in a BTIG blog post (http://bit.ly/1cLgh2W). In Latin America, wireless networks will play a more important role in enabling broadband because the wired infrastructure isn’t robust, he said. Fixed broadband penetration is 33 percent in Brazil, “but it’s still higher than pay-TV penetration of 28 percent,” he said: “This presents a risk and opportunity for DirecTV.” The DBS company doesn’t offer broadband in the U.S., but that strategy might get more focus after Verizon completes the acquisition of Vodafone’s stake in Verizon Wireless, he said. Verizon will pay Vodafone $130 billion for its interest in Verizon Wireless (CD Sept 4 p1). This could be “the beginning of a stronger push into integrated service offerings by Verizon,” Piecyk said.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) plans to launch its Global Precipitation Measurement core observatory Feb. 28 on the H-IIA F23 launch vehicle, JAXA said in a news release (http://bit.ly/19zDIND). The vehicle also will provide “launch and orbit injection opportunities for seven small secondary payloads,” JAXA said.

NewSat and Measat received confirmation from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to use the 91.5 degrees east orbital slot for NewSat’s Jabiru-1 satellite. Measat agreed to buy $197 million of capacity on the satellite over its 15-year life, NewSat said in a news release. As part of the transaction, NewSat agreed to locate the satellite in the 91.5 degrees east slot held by Measat, “providing coverage over both Measat’s and NewSat’s target markets,” NewSat said.