News Analysis

DTH Markets in 2012: The Year of Convergence?

by NSR

Cambridge, Mass., January 6, 2012-As NSR stated in its Global Direct-to-Home Markets, 4th Edition report, OTT services are coming to DTH markets around the world. This year, the Super Bowl (the largest TV event in the United States) will be available over the Internet in near HD resolution. Netflix alternatives continue to boost content libraries and expand into new markets. And, rumors of an Apple-powered TV service continue to point towards a 2012 launch. All signs show 2012 will be the start of a significant convergence between traditional and OTT services, which is a trend that DTH platforms must address going forward.

What to Expect in 2012

Cambridge, Mass., January 3, 2012-After expanding at 7% in 2011, Pyramid Research expects the global telecom services market to grow at a more modest 4% in 2012 as a result of the rising volatility and uncertainty facing the global economy. Pyramid expects total service revenue to reach $1.7 trillion - 2.4% of global GDP - in 2012.

The Light Ahead for the Satellite Industry

by Lou Zacharilla

New York City, December 15, 2011--“Experience,” author George Will wrote, “is like the light on the back of a train.  It reveals only where you have been, not where you are headed.” Yet as the year 2011 ends its service to the world, the satellite industry continued to quietly circle above it.  Perhaps there is a wreck ahead, but 2011 did not reveal where it would come from.  In 2011 our industry seemed above the economic climate that continued to derail the spirit of the business world as much as it had the material. 

Government & Military Satcom Market to Face Reduced Budgets but Increasing Demand

by NSR

Cambridge, Mass., December 13, 2011--NSR's annual review of the government and military satellite market shows the industry stands to continue revenue gains until 2020 but will need to provide higher level solutions for less cost, and via a host of new procurement methods. The shaky global economy as well as increasing budget pressures within countries that have driven market growth over the past 10 years, notably the United States, are at the core of future procurements and in choosing the solution mix over the long term.

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Is there a Future for Telcos?

Dublin, Ireland,  December 6, 2011- The telecoms industry is currently involved in a massive transformation. Since the arrival of the internet, the focus of the industry has moved from providing defined end-products to becoming a facilitator in the development of a range of new products, companies, and indeed new industries, according to a new report by Research and Markets.

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DTH Operators Beat Expectations, Find the Right Combination of Packages and Services to Continue Subscriber Growth into 2020

by NSR

Cambridge, Mass. November 29, 2011--NSR’s Global Direct-to-Home (DTH) Markets, 4th Edition study finds the DTH market continues to drive satellite demand and revenue worldwide amidst a troubling economic climate and increasing competition. DTH services utilized 950 Ku-Band 36 MHz Transponder Equivalents (TPEs) in 2010. In the same year, DTH platforms delivered almost 16,900 SD, HD, and 3D television channels to nearly 140 million subscribers, and generated over $75 billion in subscription revenues.

GVF Launches Campaign to Protect Ka-Band in Preparation for WARC 2012

Washington, D.C. November 18, 2011--The  Global VSAT Forum (GVF) has launched a global campaign to assure that communications customers will continue to have unfettered access to Ka-Band spectrum for delivery of state-of-the-art consumer, government and enterprise solutions. The centrepiece of the campaign is the “White Paper for National Regulators on Satellite Services in the Ka-Band.” The GVF’s Regulatory Working Group (RWG) finalized the White Paper in preparation for the International Telecommunication Union’s 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference (WARC), where the world’s governments will meet in Geneva, Switzerland to consider how best to allocate and manage spectrum in all three of the ITU’s Regions.

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U.S. Passenger Aircraft Satellite Connectivity is Flying High

by NSR

Cambridge, Mass., November 9, 2011-In announcing on November 7 that it would outfit its entire fleet of aircraft with Ku-band connectivity by 2015, United/Continental Holdings confirmed a trend underlining NSR’s aeronautical market forecast for the next ten years: connectivity to commercial passenger planes is here to stay. After agreeing to previous incarnations only to drop orders in the wake of major financial difficulties post-9/11, U.S. airlines are stepping back on the bridge to connectivity and not just for regional routes but overseas routes as well.

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Internet and the Future of Satellite

by Robert Bell

New York City, November 3, 2011-- As interactivity becomes an essential component of the television experience, how will it affect the satellite business? For one thing, there is the lingering concern that, sooner or later, a ubiquitous high-speed Internet will take over many of the applications currently delivered via satellite.

Satellite Video and IPTV Gaining Fast on Cable Video

Campbell, Calif., November 2, 2011--The global pay TV market, including telco IPTV, cable and satellite video services, totaled $125 billion in the first half of 2011  and is forecast by Infonetics Research to grow to $353 billion by 2015. according toits Pay TV Services and Subscribers report, which forecasts and analyzes the telco Internet protocol television (IPTV), cable video, and satellite video services markets.