Broadband Maritime Offshore & Oceanic 2012: Information & Communications Networking Mobility South East Asia’, the joint GVF-EMP Partnership and InterManager ‘Maritime Insights’ conference will take place on 14th-15th February 2012 at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Singapore.

The World Radiocommunication Conference opened in Geneva today to review and revise the Radio Regulations, the international treaty governing the use of radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits. The work of this international treaty-making Conference will be conducted over four weeks until 17 February to address the changes required to the regulation of orbit/spectrum resources in the interest of the users of these scarce resources, with global implications for policy-makers, regulators, the industry as well as end-users.

CABSAT, the leading digital media event in the region, and third largest on the global calendar, is set to be bigger, better and more compelling than ever. The 2013 edition of CABSAT runs from March 12 to 14 at Dubai World Trade Centre and comes at a time of transformational change in the broadcast and media industry in the region. The event boasts a 15% increase in size and is set to welcome leading broadcast and satellite technology companies from around the world.

Global pay-TV market added nearly 47 million subscribers in 2012 reaching a total of 864 million subscribers. “The growth in satellite, cable, and IPTV markets was strong, although digital terrestrial TV growth was flat in 2012. ABI Research expects that the pay-TV market will continue to grow in 2013 to reach 907 million subscribers,” said Jake Saunders, VP and practice director of core forecasting.

CASBAA ended its TV Upfronts tour of Southeast Asia with its final event of the year in Jakarta, Indonesia on December 13, 2012. Held in association with Campaign Asia-Pacific and in-market partner First Media, exclusive screenings by Pay TV networks for over 100 media buyers, agencies and clients promoted the benefits of multichannel TV advertising and presented the best of the upcoming programming from regional networks across the region.

The World Teleport Association released a new white paper, Best Practices in Buying Satellite Antennas and the RF Chain. The latest in the Four-Nines series of reports shares insights from WTA members on the trade-offs between cost and quality, standards-based and proprietary, and investment risk versus revenue opportunity of purchasing antennas and RF equipment. The report is made possible by the financial support of XipLink.

BroadcastAsia2013, Asia’s largest integrated trade show for the Film and TV industries will return with an impressive international line-up of exhibitors. BroadcastAsia is the only event in Asia that houses more than 85 per cent of international broadcasting manufacturers as part of the show’s stellar line-up of exhibitors. Running from 18 to 22 June 2013, BroadcastAsia2013 will be staged to join CommunicAsia2013 and EnterpriseIT2013 at the Marina Bay Sands Singapore.

Unwavering Support from Exhibitors

Low ARPUs, growing competitive threats, and rival multiscreen services are driving many pay-TV providers in Europe and Asia to explore new business strategies in video services, according to international research firm Parks Associates. TV Everywhere: Growth, Solutions, and Strategies - Europe and Asia/Pacific,a new report from Parks Associates, indicates multiscreen services now reach 66% of pay-TV subscribers in Western Europe, 21% in Eastern Europe, and 9% in Asia, compared to 90% in North America.

For better or worse – and mostly for better, I think –2012 has been the Year of Spectrum. We have seen a series of amazing announcements about step-changes in the number of megabits we can run through a given amount of satellite spectrum. 

The World Conference on International Telecommunications opened on a buoyant note today in Dubai, with positive words of encouragement from government, civil society and industry. ICANN’s President & CEO Fadi Chehadé spoke of a “new season of engagement and cooperation” between ITU and his agency, recognizing ITU’s critical role in the development of the telecommunications industry and broadband infrastructure.