News Analysis

The Changing Military Satellite Market

by Virgil Labrador, Editor-in-Chief

Los Angeles, Calif., Nov. 15,2010--military satellite market just a few years ago was one of the fastest growing segments of the satellite communications industry.  However, a global economic downturn and de-escalation of conflicts in the Middle East and South West Asia coupled with changing warfighter requirements have had a profound effect on the future of military satellite communications.

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Global Economic Crisis has Little Effect on Satellite Capacity Leasing Market

by NSR

CAMBRIDGE, MA - November 9, 2010 - According to NSR’s just released Global Assessment of Satellite Supply and Demand, 7th Edition study, the worst global economic crisis since The Great Depression did little to slow down the worldwide commercial satellite capacity leasing market. NSR's study estimates the industry picked up over $400 million in new leasing revenues in 2009, reaching US$9.7 billion as of the end of the year. Further, results so far in 2010 indicate the sector could add another US$500 million or more this year alone and increase total commercial satellite capacity leasing revenues by US$6.6 billion over the ten-year period between 2009 and 2019.

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Corporate Social Responsibility and the Satellite Industry

by Stephen Tom

Washington, D.C., October 15, 2010--The global satellite industry is usually viewed as an extremely competitive and sometimes cutthroat business.  Market share; revenue growth; market capitalization; and EBITDA compete for the attention of owners, management, and the investor community.  However, there is a revolution going on supporting the idea that you can “do well by doing good;” that these measures of business success can be positively impacted by a thoughtful commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). 

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How Ka-Band May Impact Today's Service Provider

by Robert Bell

New York City, October 15, 2010-In the mid-1990s, at the SATELLITE show in Washington DC, one teleport executive turned to another and said, “This Internet thing.  Think there’s anything in it?

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Strategic Issues for FSS Operators

by Jan Grøndrup-Vivanco

Paris, September 24, 2010-The Fixed Satellite Services (FSS) operators have all weathered the financial crisis and even managed to continue to grow their businesses in 2009 and are continuing to grow in the first half of 2010. However, the big question is: “What is their next act?"

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Pay TV Piracy: A Global Challenge

by Peter I. Galace

Manila, Philippines, September 3, 2010--It’s a serious problem bedevilling the industry far too long now. Last year, in Asia alone, the estimated revenue losses were pegged at almost US$2 billion. Operators warn that the plague, if left unchecked, could destroy the whole industry-not just in Asia but the entire global Pay-TV market.  So how Asia is grappling with this persistent problem could be instructive for the rest of the world as  new markets are opening up in places such as the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

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Tackling the Problem of Satellite Interference

by Martin Coleman

London, September 3, 2010--As technology moves on, so do the demands on our media infrastructure. In the world of satellite that is as true as everywhere. Satellites are being used for a whole plethora of activity, from broadcasting to powering navigation across the globe. This increased demand has a negative effect however on the feed to the satellite in the form of radio frequency interference, meaning, for broadcasters in particular, a less than perfect television viewing experience. 

SNL Kagan Analysis Shows U.S. Multichannel Market Declines for First Time in History

Monterey, Calif., August 23, 2010--A new analysis by SNL Kagan  reveals that the U.S. multichannel market delivered its worst performance on record in the second quarter, losing 216,000 customers compared to a 378,000 gain in the same period last year.

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The View From the Top: Sweating the Assets Worldwide

by Robert Bell

New York, NY, August 6, 2010--The World Teleport Association (WTA) just published its 2010 update of Sizing the Teleport Market, which provides the only market data on the teleport sector, from number of facilities to revenues, workforce and purchasing power.   WTA's Executive Director Robert Bell deconstructs the study and its implications for the industry.

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Euroconsult Maintains Positive Outlook on Satellite Industry Growth

Paris, August 2, 2010--Despite a limited market slowdown, the fixed satellite market reached a new high in revenues last year, according to Euroconsult’s soon-to-be-released report “Satellite Communications & Broadcasting Markets Survey, Forecasts to 2019.” The fixed satellite sector grew both in terms of transponder demand (+5.3%) and revenue reaching $10.3 billion revenue in 2009. The company maintains a positive outlook for the future of the industry. Television broadcasting and emerging markets continue to be the primary growth drivers, with satellite broadband service (“BBS”) systems contributing to growth as well.

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