News Analysis

El Segundo, Calif., February 16, 2012--DirecTV, the largest satellite TV provider in the United States, reported a 16 percent increase in fourth-quarter profit amid rising subscriber numbers in Latin America. Net income rose to $718 million, or US$1.02 a share, from US $618 million, or 74 cents, a year earlier, according to the company fourth quarter 2011 financial results.

San Jose, Calif. February 14, 2012--Mobile video exceeded 50 percent of global internet trafficfor the first time in 2011 according to the latest The Cisco® Visual Networking Index (VNI) Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update.  Global mobile data traffic grew 2.3-fold in 2011, more than doubling for the fourth year in a row. The 2011 mobile data traffic growth rate was higher than anticipated. Last year's forecast projected that the growth rate would be 131 percent. This year's estimate is that global mobile data traffic grew 133 percent in 2011. Among its findings include:

New York City, February 10, 2012--Americans spend more than 33 hours per week watching video across the screens, according to the latest Nielsen Cross-Platform Report. But how they’re consuming content—traditional TV and otherwise—is changing. Demonstrating that consumers are increasingly making Internet connectivity a priority, 75.3 percent pay for broadband Internet (up from 70.9% last year); 90.4 percent pay for cable, telephone company-provided TV or satellite. Homes with both paid TV and broadband increased 5.5 percent since last year.

Hauppage, NY, February 8, 2012--Globecomm reported fiscal 2012 second quarter revenues increasing by 35.5% to a record US$95.2 million as compared to US $70.2 million in the same period last year. Revenues from service increased 15.6% to a record $54.7 million, as compared to $47.3 million in the same period last year. The increase in service revenue was primarily driven by the company’s acquisition of ComSource, completed on April 2011, which contributed $6.4 million, coupled with an increase in scope on a major government program in the Middle East.

Paris, February 6, 2012-- Euroconsult announced today that it expects prospects for the satellite industry to remain favorable over the decade in a variety of areas. The next ten years should see continued growth for commercial markets, while at the same time stagnating growth for government spending should be expected at least through mid-decade.

Austin, Texas, February 2, 2012-- This will be the year the consumer electronics (CE) industry finally realizes the promise of multi-screen content consumption. According to a new report by IMS Research, an independent supplier of market research and consultancy to the global electronics industry, shipments of residential data modems and gateways will reach 135 million in 2012, and shipments of IP-enabled consumer electronics devices will approach 2.5 billion, rising to 3.5 billion in 2015.

by Peter Galace, Associate Editor

Dubai, UAE, February 1, 2012--Despite  the ongoing impact of the Arab Spring protests and a dramatic re-ordering of political affairs still reverberating, the Middle East region remains a key growth area for commercial satellite industry.

Hartford, Conn., January 30, 2012--The global telecommunications industry continues to expand as spending by consumers and businesses for wireless services fuels industry revenue growth, says a new market analysis report from The Insight Research Corporation. According to the new industry market study, telecommunications services revenue on a worldwide basis will grow from $2.1 trillion in 2012 to $2.7 trillion in 2017 at a combined average growth rate of 5.3 percent.

San Jose, Calif., January 26, 2012 — The Fall 2011 IPTV Market Leader Report from MRG, Inc., is now tracking over 934 IPTV Operators globally, an increase from 913 just six months ago, and revealing over 50 million IPTV subscribers worldwide. “Although the MLR only tracks pure-play IPTV deployments worldwide, it clearly reflects that IPTV Operators are using other hybrid delivery methods including satellite, digital terrestrial and over-the-top (OTT) Internet services to complement their IPTV offerings or expand into new regions and markets,” says Jose Alvear, MRG Senior Analyst. “Likewise, multiscreen services are rapidly being launched by many pay-TV operators around the world, with many delivering TV and VOD directly to the iPad and other smart devices.”

New York City, January 24, 2012--The World Teleport Association announced the release of its newest report, How to Reduce Costs and Optimize Use of the Local Loop. The report shares the best practices of teleport operators for managing local connectivity, where costs, quality and availability can have a significant impact on business operations and financial results.