The composition of the connected home will shift dramatically in the next five years, with connected consumer electronics and mobile devices (mainly smartphones and tablet computers) comprising 80% of the seven billion connected nodes worldwide by 2015.  “The number of connected home nodes worldwide will grow to more than seven billion by year-end 2015,” said Kurt Scherf, VP, principal analyst, Parks Associates.

Defense and security requirements will continue to drive the commercial EO data market for the next decade, but the growing commercialization of the industry and the data needs of emerging EO nations and private enterprise will also fuel revenue growth in the sector, according to Euroconsult.

The worldwide market for digital set-top boxes - including hard-to-track free-to-air (FTA) satellite (DBS) boxes - will grow from 205 million in 2010 to 226 million in 2015. Shipments in North America and Western Europe are falling following largely successful digital transitions, while Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Eastern Europe all see significant growth. Set-top boxes in China will grow at nearly 10% per year (CAGR).

The 3D TV market will spend the next couple of years establishing itself and accumulating a base of content and devices (both TVs and Blu-ray players). In 2013, according to ABI Research, market growth will start to accelerate, and shipments of 3D TV sets will approach 50 million in 2015.

“The 3D TV market is moving faster than expected,” notes industry analyst Michael Inouye. “There was widespread skepticism that production models would be available so quickly. But by June this year many TV manufacturers had 3D models in their lineups. Most 3D TVs will be Internet-connected.”

The in-flight broadband market has achieved a remarkable revival over the past several years. Plane deployments have skyrocketed from just 25 aircraft in 2008 to an expected 2,000 commercial aircraft by the end of 2010. While the installed base of aircraft is approaching a critical mass, the viability of in-flight broadband will be tested over the next year, according to a new report by Research and Markets.

In 2010, the UN-HABITAT’s report, State of the World Cities 2010/2011: Bridging the Urban Divide found that the global population has reached its tipping point, a condition where populations are more urban than rural. Today, 50.6% live in urban areas, and the trend is irreversible. Increased urban populations may be taking away a vital market for satellite backhaul.

Broadband has taken a significant step forward as the number of subscriber lines passed the 500 million mark in July 2010.  The milestone was revealed as the Broadband Forum provided its global Broadband and IPTV Industry Update at its quarterly meeting in Hong Kong today. Research by industry analysts Point Topic (http://www.point-topic.com) pinpointed the actual date as being in the third week in July and the Broadband Forum will mark the occasion with a Milestone Celebration later this week.

The World Teleport Association announced publication of a new white paper, "Ka-Band and the Teleport," which examines how the coming wave of Ka-band satellite capacity may transform the business of companies that create and deliver services via satellite today.

Television services in Latin America will grow by double digits over the next five years, outpacing service growth in Asia and other emerging markets, according to international research firm Parks Associates.

Euroconsult forecasts that an estimated 1,220 satellites will be built for launch over the next decade.

The average of 122 satellites to be launched per year is up significantly from the annual average of 77 satellites launched in the previous decade, a sign that government and commercial operators require more satellite capabilities. In Euroconsult’s just released "Satellites to be Built & Launched by 2019, World Market Survey," the company projects that revenues from the manufacturing and launch of these 1,220 satellites will reach US$ 194 billion worldwide for the decade.