Egypt & Saudi Arabia, followed by the UAE, host the highest number of FTA channels broadcasting in the Arab World

The number of FTA satellite TV channels in the Arab World increased by 10.5% between April 2010 and April 2011 to reach 538 channels broadcast on Arabsat, Nilesat andNoorsat (fully operational channels reached 501). Arab Advisors Group research revealed that the highest number of channel types were the private-sector general channels followed by government-sector general channels, according to a new report by Arab Advisors Group.

With an increase of over 15.2 million subscribers in the first three months of this year, fixed broadband grew by 2.9%.  This was the biggest quarterly increase in the last two years and representing an annual growth rate of 11.93%, according to figures announced today by the Broadband Forum at its press conference at CommunicAsia 2011.  IPTV also shows exceptional growth rates with an increase of over 34% in the 12 months to the end of March 2011, based on the data prepared for the Broadband Forum by analyst firm Point Topic.

ABI Research has released the first part of its “Technology Barometer: Digital Living” study which surveyed 2000 consumers in the United States about consumer electronic products in their households (device type, number of devices, and brands), home networking, and connected devices.

Despite the attention given to-cord cutting, this trend has not generated the momentum some (not including ABI Research) expected: in this survey only 10% of respondents did not subscribe to a pay-TV service.

Euroconsult said in a new report on mobile satellite services (MSS) that continued demand in a wide range of applications and geographic markets over the coming decade will drive growth in the sector. In particular, strong demand from commercial markets will boost the industry and more than offset a potential slowdown from government users for current military operations, which accounted for much of the growth over the previous ten years.

Voice over IP now has over 120 million subscribers worldwide, according to the latest analysis from Point Topic, and its growth looks set to accelerate as predictions indicate a $40 billion annual VoIP market by 2015. Point Topic’s data revealed a global growth in VoIP of 12.6% during 2010 and shows that there is plenty of headroom left for VoIP * around the world. 

The Indian telecom industry has undergone a revolutionary change during the past few years to become one of the leading telecom markets on the global map. Easy availability of low-priced devices, rampant network coverage, and affordable services are some of the major factors that have boosted its growth and will continue to do the same in future. Further, wireless teledensity has also risen to the level of around 68% at the end of FY 2011, but still there is a vast scope for further improvement due to a wide gap in teledensity between urban and rural areas.

The total number of channels on DTT networks in Europe  is now almost 1,800 (compared to almost 1,500 in October 2010) according to the latest figures from the European Audiovisual Observatory. The total includes a very large number of local channels although local/regional channels are only on the DTT platforms in 12 EU countries.  There are very significant numbers of local channels in Italy, Spain and Denmark.

Fig. 1: Split of DTT channels in the EU by coverage

Source: MAVISE June 2011

Stark Moore Macmillan, a specialist maritime marketing agency, and VT iDirect, Inc. (iDirect),released the results from the largest and most comprehensive maritime VSAT survey ever undertaken. The survey revealed that up to 30% of current non-VSAT users planned to conduct trials of VSAT within the next 24 months. Among other key findings was an indication that establishing a clear business case for VSAT would encourage greater adoption among shipping operators.

Industry to Emerge from Cyclical “Trough” with New Crest in 2016 Averaging 70 Launches Annually 

According to NSR's newest market research report, Global Satellite Manufacturing and Launch Markets released today, the industry should launch satellites worth collectively over $250 Billion over the next 15 years. NSR expects that the stability offered by GEO ComSat replacements, the Ka-band/HTS “me too” syndrome, Government contracts and the steady stream of Science & Navigation missions should see over 1,600 satellites launched by 2025.

Asia Pacific is undergoing a digital TV boom that will see penetration increase from 29% in 2010 to 73% in 2016 – or up by nearly 400 million homes, according to a new report from Digital TV Research. Fast-growth economies, higher disposable incomes and rising populations will lead this expansion. Digital TV Asia Pacific calculated that these factors will also result in 92 million more TV households between 2010 and 2016.