MILCOM 2009, the premier international conference on military communications, has confirmed that Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, Gen. Peter Chiarelli, is the keynote speaker for the Wednesday, October 21, 2009 luncheon event.

Embracing the world of media--Telcos, mobile network operators and ISPs are now as much a part of the media business as broadcasters, cable networks and satellite services. Each is fighting for its fair share of the revenues from what is still a healthy business. But everyone has to collaborate to make the content become a reality.

by Virgil Labrador, Editor-in-Chief

The Satellite Industry Association(SIA) released its 2009 State of the Satellite Industry Report at the ISCe 2009 conference in San Diego, June 3rd. The results of the report show a 19 percent growth in overall world satellite industry revenues – with revenues totaling $144.4 billion in 2008. Global revenues for the satellite industry continue to increase, averaging an annual growth rate of 14.2 percent from 2003 – 2008. Meanwhile, Euroconsult is projecting the industry will grow 50% in the next decade.

 A diverse mix of military leaders, state disaster recovery officials and industry executives shared a range of insights on making the best use of the global satellite communications grid during the three-day ISCe conference organized by Hannover Fairs USA from June 2-4 in San Diego, California.

From 2005 to 2008, the number of direct-to-home (DTH) satellite platforms grew over 49% from 65 to 97 platforms worldwide, according to estimates by Euroconsult. At least 10 new DTH platforms were announced in 2008. Despite this dramatic growth in DTH platforms, the industry is facing pressure to reduce costs in the current global economic environment in order to maintain and expand its subscriber base and to meet investor expectations for returns.

Since the Stimulus Bill passed early this year, countless private and public organizations have begun gathering information to apply for billions of dollars in stimulus grants and loans. However, these groups tend to underestimate satellite broadband technology’s ability to meet the goals of the US Congress and the Obama Administration. Not to be left out, some of the largest satellite companies have launched their own campaign to get the message out to Washington and the public.

The total satellite industry today is estimated to produce about 1% of global communications revenues. Anybody care to try for 2%?  At the 2009 NAB Show, the  World Teleport Association and Society of Satellite Professionals International produced another year of their Content Distribution Forum on the show floor. Attendance was great despite the decline in overall exhibition traffic in this year of recession, which is having such an impact on the media business.

The 8th annual ISCe Conference. ISCe 2009, scheduled for June 2-4 in San Diego, California, will focus on SATCOM solutions for homeland security, disaster recovery and support for warfighters in the pursuit of victory. ISCe 2009 will provide attendees with unprecedented access to key military and civil agency decision makers.  

With a new Administration in Washington, D.C., spending priorities across the board are being analyzed and reviewed. The results of this scrutiny could have significant ramification

Satellite TV is the biggest money maker for the overall satellite industry, creating investment, subscriber base and wealth. It rests on the solid revenue footing from a food chain that ranges from the end user paying for subscriptions to networks that collect from advertisers and affiliates like TV stations and cable systems. However, we are witnessing a new business model that provides a free service to end users who only need to buy reception equipment consisting of a dish with a digital set-top-box.

The Satellite 2009 conference and exhibition held annually in Washington D.C. is always a good bellwether of how the industry is doing. More so today, when the global economies are reeling from the worse downturn in decades. Unlike in other conferences in recent months, when the severity and seriousness of this downturn was not yet fully evident, the timing of the Satellite show presents a unique opportunity to provide a fuller perspective of the state of the industry. With over 9,000 satellite executives including many of the CEOs of leading companies descending on Washington, D.C.