COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 51334

Satellite Telecommunications

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

14companies1908–1991founding years12still active2no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironment
FoundedThe Williams Companies, Inc.FoundedThe Williams Companies, Inc.
1908
TechnologyThe Ford Model T brings the automobile to the middle class.
1913
EconomyThe Federal Reserve is created.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression begins.
1933
EconomyNew Deal reforms reshape banking and industry.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long postwar expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented at Bell Labs.
1956
EconomyThe Interstate Highway program remakes commerce.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
1970
EnvironmentThe EPA is founded; environmental regulation expands.
FoundedAEI Music Network Inc.FoundedAEI Music Network Inc.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; Nasdaq opens.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins with the Altair.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedPanAmSat CorporationFoundedPanAmSat CorporationFoundedSpacehab, Inc.FoundedSpacehab, Inc.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedWilliams Communications Group, Inc.FoundedWilliams Communications Group, Inc.
1985
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall 22% in a single day.
FoundedCable & Wireless HKTFoundedCable & Wireless HKT
1988
FoundedMIH LimitedFoundedMIH Limited
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2001
EconomyThe September 11 attacks; a recession follows.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 begin to take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

The Williams Companies, Inc. →
Active · founded 1908
The Williams Companies, Inc., is the largest interstate natural gas supplier in the United States.
The Williams Companies, Inc. →
Active · founded 1908
The Williams Companies, Inc., is the largest interstate natural gas supplier in the United States.
AEI Music Network Inc. →
Active · founded 1971
AEI Music Network Inc.
AEI Music Network Inc. →
Active · founded 1971
AEI Music Network Inc.
PanAmSat Corporation →
Defunct · founded 1984
PanAmSat Corporation is a leading provider of satellite operations, serving markets in all parts of the globe.
PanAmSat Corporation →
Defunct · founded 1984
PanAmSat Corporation is a leading provider of satellite operations, serving markets in all parts of the globe.
Spacehab, Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Spacehab, Inc.
Spacehab, Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Spacehab, Inc.
Williams Communications Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1985
Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Williams Communications Group, Inc., a subsidiary of The Williams Companies, Inc.,…
Williams Communications Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1985
Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Williams Communications Group, Inc., a subsidiary of The Williams Companies, Inc.,…
Cable & Wireless HKT →
Active · founded 1988 · Hong Kong
Cable & Wireless HKT (HKT), formerly Hong Kong Telecommunications Ltd., provides a wide range of communications…
Cable & Wireless HKT →
Active · founded 1988 · Hong Kong
Cable & Wireless HKT (HKT), formerly Hong Kong Telecommunications Ltd., provides a wide range of communications…
MIH Limited →
Active · founded 1991 · The Netherlands
MIH Limited (MIHL) operates pay-television services internationally in three regions: Africa, the Mediterranean, and…
MIH Limited →
Active · founded 1991 · The Netherlands
MIH Limited (MIHL) operates pay-television services internationally in three regions: Africa, the Mediterranean, and…
Build It Today

Starting a satellite telecommunications company now

Each week we rebuild one of these stories for today's tools and capital.