by Martin Jarrold

London, February 1, 2012--Taking place on the second (29thFebruary) and third (1stMarch) days of CABSAT 2012, at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Center (DICEC), is GVF MENASAT @ CABSAT, which this year will comprise the Satellite Interference Mitigation Forum, and the Satellite Markets & Services Summit.

In contrast to recent military shows like MILCOM in Baltimore last November and last  year’s WEST show, there is more of a cautious optimism over the impending defense budget cuts now that it’s inevitability has  more or less sunked in.

VSAT operator service revenues grew by 14 per cent to $5.2 billion globally in 2011 according to the 12th Edition of he COMSYS VSAT Report. The VSAT Report is the result of over twelve months of research, involving site visits and interviews with companies from Australia to Argentina and from Pakistan to Peru.

Key findings of the report include:

When The UK Government announced support to finance half of SSTL’s newest radar satellite, it confirmed a trend NSR has seen cropping up in recent times: smaller satellites are gaining ground in both optical and now in SAR markets.As more manufacturers are looking to address this market with finer ground resolution and smaller satellites at a lower cost (£200 million for four 300 kg. SSTL radar satellites), the effect is likely to be a reduction in the cost of data at the end user side.

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.

Fuelled by new smartphones, apps and services consumer demand for mobile data is accelerating beyond expectations, finds a new report from Arieso. Following a similar study in 2010, Arieso’s new analysis reveals that so-called ‘extreme’ users are becoming even more extreme, with 1% of subscribers now consuming HALF of all downloaded data. One thing is clear: the capacity issues plaguing mobile operators around the world will worsen in 2012.

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.

The CABSAT 2012 exhibition, 28th February to 1st March next year, will feature a stronger than ever GVF presence, as the global association representing some 230+ member organizations from the satellite industry sector provides the satellite communications stream of the event’s conference element.  Held at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Center (DICEC), the GVF Interference Mitigation Forum, and the GVF Markets & Services Summit, will take place on the second and third days of CABSAT, a key feature of the international satellite communications events calendar.

British consumers are gaining an appetite for superfast broadband services, says analyst firm, Point Topic. This latest research reveals that the UK broadband market has shrugged off talk of a double-dip recession, to deliver its best third quarter since 2008.The UK market added a net 289,000 broadband lines during the third quarter of 2011, markedly better performance than in the previous quarter with 240,100 lines, bringing total broadband lines in the country to over 20.4 million by the end of September 2011. This is up 6.4% on 19.2 million a year ago.