In the recent years, the Asia-Pacific region has become a bright spot for connectivity solutions. One of the reasons is its huge population, which represents approximately 60% of the humanity (4.6 billion people as of 2020). 

India is one of the biggest consumers of satellite content and has made significant progress in the past few years to unlock its full potential of the video market. Though DTH is very popular in India, companies like Reliance JIO are now becoming the competitor in the broadcasting segment due to their low-cost services. 

Having lived in Shenzhen for a handful of years, I would hear time and time again about things developing at “Shenzhen Speed.” In local parlance, the peak of Shenzhen Speed coincided with the early-1990s to mid-2000s building boom, when some buildings went up at a rate of 4 floors every 9 days. In the broader Chinese context, the phrase “China Speed” also gets used often, referring to industries developing quickly or infrastructure being built in the blink of an eye. 

The June 2021 issue of  the Satellite Executive Briefing magazine focusing on New Space Services is now available.  Featuring:

The State of the Art in On-Orbit Services  by Elisabeth Tweedie

Microsatellite and Nanosatellite Markets by Mayank Halmare

Better Satellite World: A Promise Kept

Coming Out of the COVID Tunnel by Robert Bell

It's Singapore Virtually by Martin Jarrold

PLUS Products and Services Spotlight, Mergers and Acquisitions, Executive Moves, Market Briefs, Vital Statistics, Satellite Markets Stock Index and many more. Click here to read or download the file

Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PJSC  today announces its intention to proceed with an initial public offering (IPO) of part of its existing shares and to apply for admission of all of its shares to listing and trading on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (“ADX”).

In the course of my work as a consultant and executive recruiter based in Asia, I have spoken to over 150 satellite and digital broadcast sales, business development and senior management professionals in the last six months on the prospects of the Asian market. The consensus among key satellite executives is that the business of satellite communications in Asia continues to grow and is better off than other regional markets by "a significant margin."

NAB Show is now accepting nominations for the third annual Product of the Year awards. Companies scheduled to exhibit in either the 2020 or 2021 NAB Show are eligible. The awards recognize the most significant and promising new products and technologies developed by NAB Show exhibitors. Nominations are being accepted through September 17, 2021.

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (NASDAQ: CMTL) today reported its operating results for the third fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2021 and updated its financial targets for fiscal 2021. The company reported consolidated net sales of US$ 139.4 million and Adjusted EBITDA of US$ 17.7 million (or 12.7% of consolidated net sales).

Fiscal 2021 Third Quarter Highlights (all figures in US$)

The 1960s ushered in an era of human space exploration that has never been equaled.  Humans traveled farther from our planet than ever before – not once but half a dozen times – and those journeys sparked the dreams and ambitions of millions.  And then we stopped.  We flew robots to other planets.  We put satellites and space stations into orbit.  But people never again answered the call to leave our planet far behind in a quest for knowledge and opportunity, to open new horizons for others to follow.  
Never – until now.  

Many years ago, when I was part of a team considering an investment in Teledesic, one of the engineers at Hughes, produced a computer model, of what would happen if one of the satellites ran into a piece of orbital debris.  The assumption was, that this would cause it to break-up, so the satellite behind would inevitably run into the fragments and similarly break-up and so on.  The space equivalent of a freeway pile-up, technically known as the Kessler Effect, after the NASA scientist who first modeled this happening.  

Depending on where you are in the world today, the light at the end of the tunnel is either welcome daylight or an oncoming train.  Since it first appeared in late 2019, COVID-19 has been an unequal opportunity curse, killing many, sickening more and leaving even more of us untouched but isolated and afraid.  Now that vaccines are pouring out of production facilities and into people’s arms, the inequality has actually grown, varying from nation to nation based on economic might, the capabilities of governments and national and regional culture.