CABSAT Tackles Satcom “Competitive Threats” and “Technology Disruptors”, Focuses on Big Issues, Big Business, Demanding Verticals

Dubai, UAE, April 1,  2019 — The Satellite Hub Summit @ CABSAT 2019 – GVF’s prominent MENA platform for addressing and analysing evolutionary and revolutionary transitions in satellite technologies, services, applications, and markets – which was a central feature at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre/Dubai World Trade Centre over 12th to 14th March once again provided an essential and incisive value-added experience for hundreds of exhibition attendees.

Martin Jarrold, GVF chief of international program development and chair of the Hub Summit, said this is the fifth year that GVF, in partnership with DWTC, has presented its Hub format embedded within the exhibition space and physically present on the hall floor. He said it works very well, offering the perspectives of an excellent assembly of key speakers to an audience that appreciates the immediacy and accessibility of important dialogues underway adjacent to the exhibition content.

Riaz Lamak, GVF’s South Asia Liaison for Training, Benchmarking, Validation & Product Quality, added “The Hub program started-off with the first of two important keynote addresses. Xiuqi ‘Ellie’ Wang, Head, Data Treatment Section, Space Publication & Registration Division, Space Services Department, Radiocommunication Bureau, International Telecommunication Union offered the International Keynote.” In her important address, Wang covered the details of the preparatory processes in the build-up to the World Radiocommunication Conference in November 2019 including February’s CPM19-2 consolidated report that will serve as the basis for discussion at the WRC-19 through providing detailed background for each of the agenda items.

Opening the first of four main programme sessions, Jarrold introduced the moderating team who brought a wealth of insight and informed perspectives to the management of the programme: Virgil Labrador, Satellite Markets & Research; Riaz Lamak, GVF; Stéphane Chenard, Euroconsult; and, Torsten Kriening, SpaceWatch Global.

“With just 15-minutes each to deliver opening remarks on their selected topic within the overall session theme, the panellists had a demanding job”, added Mr. Jarrold. “The opening remarks set the stage for moderator-led interactive discussion amongst the panel members and the Hub Summit audience.”

Day One of the Hub programme tackled some broad strategic themes with a total of 11 speakers across two distinct sessions – Global Satellite Focus… “Big Ticket” Issues on the Industry Forward Agenda and Global Satellite Business is Big Business. New Space Making It Bigger. The speakers represented GVF Members ArabSat, Hughes, Intelsat, SES Networks, INSTER, LeoSat, Methera Global Communications, ND SATCOM, Talia, and others, including the Satcoms Innovation Group and PTScientists GmbH.

Day Two opened with a National Keynote address from Khalid Al Awadi, Manager, Broadcasting & Space Services, Spectrum Management Affairs Department, United Arab Emirates Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. Al Awadhi’s speech covered all facets of the TRA’s policy position preparations for WRC-19 in November, with reference to all communications platforms and technologies; and, the development, under the leadership of the U.A.E. Space Agency, of national satellite and space programmes and collaborations with other national agencies.

The alliteratively entitled, and mobility market vertical-focused, themes of ‘Maritime Morning’ – To the Wider Market and Service Horizon and ‘Aero Afternoon’ – It’s Not Just About the IFEC! featured as the main programme for Day Two. Across these two sessions attendees heard from representatives of GVF Members Newtec, SES, iDirect, Comtech EF Data, Integrasys, Kratos Communications, Mission Microwave Technologies, and from Northern Sky Research.

Jarrold, in further comment on the main programme topics noted, “The topical range over these two days was extensive, covering satellite operations excellence, space traffic management and sustainable space best practices; satellite and terrestrial networking; new broadband provisioning solutions and communications on the move; data dependency and LEO market disruption; investing in innovation and interoperability, multi-provider/multi-waveform/multi-technology, and 5G standard connectivity architecture; disaster response satcoms; maritime VSAT trends and satellite network complexity; evolution in solid state ground terminals; VSAT auto-commissioning; and, satellite industry competitive threats and evolving business models.”

On the third day of CABSAT, and supported by ArabSat, the Hub Summit concluded with the Satcoms Insights & Capacity Building Workshop, featuring a special address by H. E. Dr. Riyadh Najm, former President of the General Commission for Audiovisual Media & Current Chairman of the Advisory Committee for the Arab Radio & TV Academy, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Other contributors to the dialogue on human, technological and processes capacity building included ArabSat’s Director of Transmission Operations, Yasir Hassan; GVF’s South Asia Liaison for Training, Benchmarking, Validation & Product Quality, Riaz Lamak; the Executive Director of the SatComs Innovation Group (SIG), Martin Coleman; and Guido Baraglia, Director of Business Development & Sales with Kratos Communications.

For access to the slide presentations in PDF format please contact martin.jarrold@gvf.org.

Finally, Jarrold added, “Next on the GVF events calendar is the Newtec Satcom Hub at the NAB Show in Las Vegas, U.S.A. David Meltzer, GVF Secretary General will be speaking on: Upcoming Spectrum Battles at WRC-19; Satellites – A Ubiquitous Solution for Communications Needs; and, Sustainable Space Operations, at 16:00 hours on 10th April 2019.”