Reports indicate that Iran in the "near future" will start enriching uranium deep inside a mountain to conduct sensitive atomic activities at an underground site for better protection against enemy attacks. The U.S. and Israel are not ruling out strikes against Iran if diplomacy fails to resolve the dispute.

High-quality marine VSAT terminal deployments are being facilitated through the collaboration of three leading industry organizations on a global online training program. The Global VSAT Forum (GVF), Sea Tel, and SatProf have announced that they will jointly launch a web-based training platform at www.gvf.org/training that enables faster, more cost-effective delivery of operation and installation training for personnel who either utilize or deploy Sea Tel marine VSAT terminals.

According to the GSM Association (GSMA), mobile penetration in the Asia Pacific will reach a landmark three billion connections in Q1 2012, nearly two years earlier than projected. More importantly, by 2015, the region is expected to reach 4.1 billion connections, growing at twice the rate of Europe and North America, and will account for 40% of mobile data traffic worldwide.

As NSR stated in its Global Direct-to-Home Markets, 4th Edition report, OTT services are coming to DTH markets around the world. This year, the Super Bowl (the largest TV event in the United States) will be available over the Internet in near HD resolution. Netflix alternatives continue to boost content libraries and expand into new markets. And, rumors of an Apple-powered TV service continue to point towards a 2012 launch.

After expanding at 7% in 2011, Pyramid Research expects the global telecom services market to grow at a more modest 4% in 2012 as a result of the rising volatility and uncertainty facing the global economy. Pyramid expects total service revenue to reach $1.7 trillion - 2.4% of global GDP - in 2012.

Mobile broadband, enabled by the proliferation of high-speed mobile computing devices including smartphones and tablets, will be one of the largest growth areas in 2012. Particularly as the price of these computing devices comes down, enabling further penetration in emerging markets.

“Experience,” author George Will wrote, “is like the light on the back of a train.  It reveals only where you have been, not where you are headed.” Yet as the year 2011 ends its service to the world, the satellite industry continued to quietly circle above it.  Perhaps there is a wreck ahead, but 2011 did not reveal where it would come from.  In 2011 our industry seemed above the economic climate that continued to derail the spirit of the business world as much as it had the material. 

NSR's annual review of the government and military satellite market shows the industry stands to continue revenue gains until 2020 but will need to provide higher level solutions for less cost, and via a host of new procurement methods. The shaky global economy as well as increasing budget pressures within countries that have driven market growth over the past 10 years, notably the United States, are at the core of future procurements and in choosing the solution mix over the long term.

The telecoms industry is currently involved in a massive transformation. Since the arrival of the internet, the focus of the industry has moved from providing defined end-products to becoming a facilitator in the development of a range of new products, companies, and indeed new industries, according to a new report by Research and Markets.

High Throughput Satellites (HTS) will increasingly be a key addition to the offshore communications industry’s portfolio, as energy-sector interests demand more broadband for less cost. The projection of strong demand for HTS solutions was one of several prominent topics explored during the “GVF Oil & Gas Communications South East Asia” conference (O&GCSEA2011) held 22-23 November at the Crowne Plaza Mutiara Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

A quick look at the supply numbers seems to indicate that the previously hot satellite market in Sub-Saharan Africa has the potential to become an oversupply fiasco for the FSS industry. During the run up of the African market, satellite operators of every stripe decided to launch new capacity into the region with NSR estimating over 300 TPEs of new and replacement C- and Ku-band capacity will be launched in the coming two years for Sub-Saharan Africa alone.