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 Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today unveiled the National Broadband Map -- the first public, searchable nationwide map of broadband Internet availability -- and the results of a new nationwide survey on broadband adoption.  The data will support efforts to expand broadband access and adoption in communities at risk of being left behind in the 21st century economy and help businesses and consumers seeking information on their high-speed Internet options.

The GVF Broadband Maritime Offshore & Oceanic 2011: Information & Communications Networking Mobility South East Asia Conference – BMSEA 2011 – drew to a close on 16th February following two days of in-depth dialogue on the application of satellite-based technologies and services to the networking communications requirem ents of the maritime industry.

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.   

VSAT technology today offers a solid platform for medium to high bandwidth applications in the enterprise domain.  However many potential users harbor concerns the medium might be too costly and unreliable.  How these concerns are addressed varies greatly based on the application and location.  The satellite industry is dropping its old boiler plate about ease of use and speed to deploy and moving towards being something that can handle applications which require more bandwidth with a truly independent and private network.

Location, Location, Location

The last decade has been a roller coaster ride in the Latin American FSS market with numerous peaks and valleys in both supply and demand. The decade started out with a mass of satellite launches that drove up supply, but transponder demand lagged leading to a buyer’s market with very low pricing. Then starting in about 2008, demand for capacity, most especially Ku-band transponders, grew very rapidly driven by DTH, video distribution and VSAT networking services for a plethora of rural connectivity, e-governance and USO projects.

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.