The 30th anniversary edition of the Satellite show held in Washington, D.C. from March 14-17 was like a big coming out party for the industry. Having just survived one of the worst global recessions relatively unscathed,  the mood at the show was decidedly bullish.   Senior industry executives speaking at the conference were almost unanimously positive on the industry’s position yet they also recognize that there are still many challenges ahead. 

The demand for mobile backhaul is growing at an unprecedented rate. Smart phones on ave-rage consume five times as much bandwidth as a regular cell phone and the number of smart phones is projected to increase by 300% to  two billion units in 2015.  This has prompted the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to call for an increase in both fiber and spectrum in order to avoid network bottlenecks.  In July 2010 NSR projected that the satellite portion of this market should be worth just under  US$ 600 million by 2015. 

The CABSAT & Satellite Middle East/North Africa (MENA) 2011 show held in Dubai, UAE, from February 8-10 bills itself as the third-largest satellite event of its kind in the world and it has grown by 15% compared to last year. More than 750 companies from 55 countries, including 11 national pavilions, exhibited at the Dubai World Trade Center showcasing the latest products and developments in the broadcast, digital media and satellite markets.   

Just 1.2 million pay-TV consumers canceled their subscriptions in favor of over-the-top video alternatives in 2010, according to a new report from Informa Telecoms Media, reflecting just 0.18 percent of the global pay-TV market.

The number of cord-cutters globally is forecast to rise from last year's 1.2 million to 16.1 million by 2015, the report says.

Cable will retain dominance in the global multi-channel TV market over the next five years but the threat from the new generation of digital and internet protocol (IP) services will take its toll, predicts Ovum.

Globally cable TV will reach 573 million households by 2015, but will grow by an average of only three per cent per year for that period. The strongest growth will come from internet protocol TV (IPTV) with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24 per cent over the next five years to reach 109 million households.

There has been solid growth in the Earth Observation (EO) market in the past few years due to a strengthening of demand for civil government and military EO satellites and associated data. However, this reliance on government and military organizations distorts true market economics, as only a few large users such as the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) provide the majority of revenues for U.S.-based operators according to NSR.

With the Middle East television audience set to rise by almost 20% over the next three years*, 19 new satellites due for launch by 2013 and 90% satellite TV penetration**, there has never been a more important time to be aware of the latest broadcast technology and business practices. To address those trends and assist in realising the potential in the Middle East, CABSAT MENA, running from 8 – 10 February 2011 at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, has transformed its conference for 2011, making it more detailed and more international in its scope.

Ovum has released its predictions for the key issues and events that will shape the telecommunications market in 2011. Broken down by analysts’ areas of coverage, the predictions provide a fascinating overview of the coming year for the telecoms industry.

Satellite and the Middle East/North Africa Horizontal and South East Asia Vertical Markets

Readers of this column who will be attending the CABSAT MENA & Satellite MENA 2011 exhibition at Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Center (DICEC) over 8th to 10th February will be interested to know that the Editor-in-Chief of this very publication will feature in a prominent role during one of the conferences embedded within the event.

The television industry is back on a growth path, with a global market of EUR 289.2 billion, which marks a 7.1% increase compared to 2009., according to the latest  World Television Market Report by IDATE.  This report analyses the overriding trends and changes taking place in the markets around the globe. It explores the driving forces behind the market’s growth and transformation, including an examination of the chief market trends, plus volume and value forecasts up to 2014 by geographical area and by country.