NSR’s Newest Report Finds Satellite Ground Segment Growth of US$147 Billion Cumulative Revenues by 2030

Cambridge, Mass., December 14th, 2021--NSR’s newly released Global Satellite Ground Segment, 6^th Edition report, finds strong post COVID-19 return to growth for the Ground Segment, illuminating a massive increase in upcoming satellite capacity supply. With a double-digit growth forecast, cumulative industry revenues reach US$ 147 Billion through 2030.

“The huge amount of coming satellite capacity supply is a significant opportunity for equipment vendors, both from a backend perspective (Earth Stations, Baseband) and for new use cases creating demand for terminals (Consumer, Mobility, Backhaul, IoT & others),” explains report author Lluc Palerm. “Ground Segment is now more strategic than ever in enabling future Satcom growth.”

VSAT platforms (Modems + Baseband Equipment), the fastest growing element at 14.0% CAGR, are becoming the technology enabler for Satcom data-centered growth. While Antennas continue as major barrier for NGSOs reaching mass markets, opportunity in sophisticated markets like Earth Stations and Mobility is increasing dramatically.

With Segment evolution, expectations increase for Ground Segment to transition toward virtualization and integration with mainstream Telco networks. In the era of cheap and easy access to space, Operator goals are firmly in building new platforms, making it easier for end users to adopt Satcom, while improving cost competitiveness.

“Despite the hype around virtualization, the industry still lags behind.” adds Palerm . “If the industry wants to be ready for flexible satellites and the coming supply from constellations and VHTS, the Satellite Ground Segment must step up its game and evolve towards a Cloud-enabled solution.”

Palerm concludes, “In the transition from 'MHz' to 'Networks-as-a-Service', the Ground Segment needs to play a central role. Satellite Ground Segment is core to meeting future industry challenges such as virtualization, orchestration and integration into 5G, and the mainstream Telco ecosystem; now is the time to act.”