Arabsat and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) today announced contracts for Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] to manufacture two A2100 communications satellites. In conjunction with the award, Lockheed Martin, KACST and TAQNIA Space Company, a subsidiary of the Saudi Technology Investment and Development Company (TAQNIA), signed an agreement to explore future design, manufacture, assembly and integration of satellites in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Europe, Middle East and Africa Markets
Despite signs of market maturity, cord-cutting is not expected to make much of an impact in Western Europe, according to a new report from Digital TV Research. The Digital TV Western Europe Forecasts report (which covers 18 countries) states that pay TV penetration is expected to grow from 56.7% at end-2014 to 60.4% in 2020.
In fact, the number of pay TV subscribers will climb by 2.57 million in 2015 to 99.00 million (up from 92.86 million in 2010) as Western Europe begins to shrug off the recession.
IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS) today announced key findings from its annual Middle East & North Africa Pay TV Market Monitor report. The report found that 2014 was another year of substantial growth for the pay TV market in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with pay TV revenues jumping from €702 million in 2013 to €873 million in 2014.
While most households continue to rely predominantly on free satellite TV, the total primary pay TV households rose to 4.8 million from 4.3 million in 2013, a year-on-year increase of 12.4 percent.
Telenor's Thor 7 satellite was successfully launched into space on Sunday April 26, 2015 at 20:00 UTC, from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. On board an Ariane 5 launcher (Arianespace flight VA222), the Thor 7 satellite was successfully injected into geostationary transfer orbit approx. 28 minutes after lift-off.
Skyline Communications, a provider of end-to-end multi-vendor network management and OSS software solutions for the broadcast, satellite, cable, telco and mobile industry, announces a reorganization of its leadership structure. Skyline’s Board of Directors appointed Ben Vandenberghe as Chief Executive Officer, Bert Vandenberghe as Chief Technology Officer and Frederik Vandenberghe as Chief Financial Officer.
RSCC's Express-AM6 satellite has completed in-orbit testing and is now operational. Located at 53˚ E, one of RSCC’s key orbital slots, the Express-AM6 satellite will provide reliable coverage of Russia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
The addition of Express-AM6 to RSCC’s satellite constellation bring the total number of satelllites in operation to 11, including seven satellites of the Express-AM series and two DBS satellites of the Express-AT series.
Strong promotion of 4K display resolutions from TV makers, display manufacturers and distribution channels has successfully increased consumer awareness and boosted 4K LCD TV penetration in 2014, according to a new report from IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS). While 4K is best known as a feature in high-end LCD TVs, starting this year 4K displays will emerge in all major display applications, including desktop monitors, notebook PCs, OLED TVs, digital signage, smartphones, and tablet PCs.
NSR's newly released Wireless Backhaul via Satellite, 9th Edition finds a robust market increasingly impacted by the much deliberated Non-GEO-HTS programs, specifically LEO-HTS presenting both challenges and opportunities for the industry. A diverse set of market segments are expected to grow at mixed levels, with current and next-generation solutions generating healthy revenue streams from $1.7 billion in 2014 to $5.3 billion by 2024.
Various service offerings have and will target all market segments, posing risks and rewards:
The last quarter of 2014 saw the global fixed broadband subscriptions continue to rise with the total standing at 714m at the end of the year. Growth for the quarter was 1.1%, a modest decrease on the 1.2% growth recorded for the previous quarter.
According to Euroconsult's latest report, Mobile Satellite Communications Markets Survey: Prospects to 2024, the Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) industry faces multiple challenges, including increasingly omnipresent mobile VSAT, troop withdrawals, government budget reductions, and unfavorable economics in the shipping industry. The future of the MSS industry now depends on how fast MSS operators can adapt to this new market environment.