Intelsat requested a 30-day extension of its special temporary authority to operate Galaxy 26 in the C and Ku bands. Intelsat wants the STA to begin March 20, it said in its application to the FCC International Bureau (http://bit.ly/1nnH9gn). Galaxy 26 is at 49.9 degrees east, it said.

SES signed an agreement with Oman-based wireless operator Nawras for capacity on SES’s NSS-6 satellite. The capacity will allow Nawras to provide a global system for mobile communications backhaul and broadband across Oman, including in rural areas, SES said in a news release (http://bit.ly/1i9tsgt). The satellite is located at 95 degrees east and its high-performance Ku-band beam is devised “to support key telecom infrastructure, enterprise and broadband networks across several regions, including the Middle East,” it said.

MTN introduced a social media threat intelligence service. A predictive service unveiled Monday, it enables U.S. government agencies using social networking, mobile devices and distributed workforces “to protect against the onslaught of cyber threats,” MTN said in a news release (http://bit.ly/1qqdW3t). The service identifies and analyzes malicious actors, threats and targeted attacks, “and provides proactive, actionable threat analytics and intelligence in advance of any network compromise,” it said.

Emerging Markets Communications (EMC) Satcom Technologies unveiled the Software Release 16 technology for its SatLink product line. The technology enables large network operators and end-user organizations “the ability to choose the network structure best-suited for any given customers or part of their satellite communication infrastructure,” EMC said in a news release. Large network operators are now able to serve mission critical government and corporate networks with multiple virtual private networks secured by AES-256 encryption and independent IP addressing, it said. The technology was unveiled Monday at the Satellite 2014 conference in Washington.

The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association asked the FCC to grant a petition declaring that rules of a Littleton, Colo., homeowners association regarding satellite dish installation are unenforceable. SBCA’s comments pertain to a petition filed by Rhonda Rivenburg of Littleton, who claimed that such rules of the Dutch Ridge Home Owners Association are preempted by the FCC over-the-air reception devices (OTARD) rule (CD Feb 7 p18). The homeowners association rules impair installation, maintenance and use of protected antennas, SBCA said in docket 14-40 (http://bit.ly/1dIF608). These rules “forbid satellite dish installation without prior approval of the Architectural Control Committee,” it said. The FCC “has repeatedly held that such prior approval requirements violate OTARD,” it said. The commission also has held that indemnification requirements violate OTARD, SBCA said. Comments were due Friday.

The FCC International Bureau dismissed The World Network’s application for a new license of a temporary-fixed satellite transmit-only earth station. The earth station was intended to transmit in the 14.0-14.5 GHz frequency band and receive in the 10.95-12.75 GHz frequency band with ALSAT-designated satellites, a group of satellites owned by Algeria, it said in a letter to The World Network (http://bit.ly/P9SXEd). The application is inconsistent and incomplete, it said. The applicant didn’t submit a radiation hazard study and errors in listing the frequency bands and emission designator must be corrected, it said.

Inmarsat appointed IEC Telecom Group as a reseller for Global Xpress, Inmarsat’s forthcoming Ka-band network. IEC, a fixed and mobile satellite services provider, will focus on opportunities for Global Xpress high-throughput satellite services in the energy, media and nongovernmental organization sectors, Inmarsat said in a press release (http://bit.ly/1ia08sG). IEC will focus on serving the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia regions, Inmarsat said.

Nielsen must sell and license certain Arbitron cross-platform audience measurement services for eight years, in the final FTC order settling an FTC complaint, the commission said Friday (http://1.usa.gov/1gHGBdM). The final order allows Nielsen Holdings to complete its acquisition of audience measurement company Arbitron. The FTC had filed a complaint in September (http://1.usa.gov/1fZjklQ). The commissioners voted 2-1-1 with Josh Wright dissenting and Maureen Ohlhausen recusing herself. The FTC received one comment from Jonathon Yinger, owner of a group of radio stations called the Christian Broadcasting System, arguing the acquisition would hurt small broadcasters’ access to radio ratings data if they did not subscribe to Arbitron’s ratings. The FTC replied that “the relief obtained pursuant to the order appropriately addresses the competitive concerns arising from the acquisition” (http://1.usa.gov/1oc2KUh).

The FCC should clarify the definition of video clips and apply the same quality standards to captions for IP video clips that it recently ordered for full-length programs, said closed captioning service provider US Captioning in a comment filed in docket 11-154 (http://bit.ly/NcPcwu). “While we understand the challenges of displaying captions in the variety of environments out there, by having a standard that applies to real-time television captions that is measurable and attainable, you provide a baseline minimum for everyone,” said the captioner. The technical challenges to closed captioning on IP video also come “from the lack of a universal standard,” US Captioning said. “There are hardware and software solutions available to make the process easier,” said the filing. “The goal of providing closed captioning to video content, regardless of length or medium of delivery to the viewer, is one that benefits us all."

Samsung said it’s partnering with Mandalay Sports Media to create second-screen content that will be available on Samsung smart TVs, smartphones and tablets. The agreement covers new and original content “beginning with the script writing process” that will deliver an interactive experience for users, Samsung said Wednesday. Mandalay is developing shows that will be coupled with Samsung’s Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology platform that enables second-screen content to be synched to events happening on the big screen. Consumers opt in to the feature to experience separate second-screen content that’s relevant to the storyline, Samsung said. Second-screen storytelling is happening today, “but the experience has always been a bit disjointed and mostly ‘post production,'” said Eric Anderson, Samsung vice president-content and product solutions. The power of the technology comes from content creators “knowing what new storytelling tools they have access to before they write the first line in the script, and how best to harmonize the connected screens in today’s living rooms,” Anderson said. Mandalay is developing content that will be accessible on some TVs and “a variety” of tablets and smartphones, Samsung said.