31.   A new competitor is Starband, which is offering two-way satellite service from the start.

32.   Allen Ashby was named president of Sea Launch, an international partnership that will provide commercial satellite launch service from a seagoing platform.

33.   Broadcasters want to offer digital services because cable TV is moving to digital format and satellite TV services are already digital, which allows higher picture quality.

34.   But a similar explosion last year delayed the plans of several American media companies to offer a package of satellite television services in Asia.

35.   But for local channels, Time Warner has the satellite services beat.

36.   But satellite services are in a race with cable and phone companies to provide high-speed Internet access.

37.   But Sony has been moving into satellite television services in Asia and Latin America.

38.   But that smaller range would make it easier to offer the local programming that has eluded satellite services, which by their nature broadcast to huge areas.

39.   But those barriers could fall over time with the increase of high-speed Internet cable and DSL services and digital satellite services.

40.   But the portion it wanted already belonged to satellite television services like DirecTV and EchoStar.