VSAT operator service revenues grew by 14 per cent to $5.2 billion globally in 2011 according to the 12th Edition of he COMSYS VSAT Report. The VSAT Report is the result of over twelve months of research, involving site visits and interviews with companies from Australia to Argentina and from Pakistan to Peru.

Key findings of the report include:

When The UK Government announced support to finance half of SSTL’s newest radar satellite, it confirmed a trend NSR has seen cropping up in recent times: smaller satellites are gaining ground in both optical and now in SAR markets.As more manufacturers are looking to address this market with finer ground resolution and smaller satellites at a lower cost (£200 million for four 300 kg. SSTL radar satellites), the effect is likely to be a reduction in the cost of data at the end user side.

The World Teleport Association announced the release of its newest report, How to Reduce Costs and Optimize Use of the Local Loop. The report shares the best practices of teleport operators for managing local connectivity, where costs, quality and availability can have a significant impact on business operations and financial results.

Indonesia's pay-TV market has crossed the 2 million subscription mark, and growth is accelerating. Innovative pricing strategies, higher quality content and new advertising opportunities are driving this expansion. It's a market with plenty of room to grow with new players entering, but competition could be tough. This will be the focus of a forthcoming one-day seminar organized by CASBAA at the Hotel Mulia Senayan in Jakarta on February 29, 2012.

Reports indicate that Iran in the "near future" will start enriching uranium deep inside a mountain to conduct sensitive atomic activities at an underground site for better protection against enemy attacks. The U.S. and Israel are not ruling out strikes against Iran if diplomacy fails to resolve the dispute.

High-quality marine VSAT terminal deployments are being facilitated through the collaboration of three leading industry organizations on a global online training program. The Global VSAT Forum (GVF), Sea Tel, and SatProf have announced that they will jointly launch a web-based training platform at www.gvf.org/training that enables faster, more cost-effective delivery of operation and installation training for personnel who either utilize or deploy Sea Tel marine VSAT terminals.

According to the GSM Association (GSMA), mobile penetration in the Asia Pacific will reach a landmark three billion connections in Q1 2012, nearly two years earlier than projected. More importantly, by 2015, the region is expected to reach 4.1 billion connections, growing at twice the rate of Europe and North America, and will account for 40% of mobile data traffic worldwide.

Fuelled by new smartphones, apps and services consumer demand for mobile data is accelerating beyond expectations, finds a new report from Arieso. Following a similar study in 2010, Arieso’s new analysis reveals that so-called ‘extreme’ users are becoming even more extreme, with 1% of subscribers now consuming HALF of all downloaded data. One thing is clear: the capacity issues plaguing mobile operators around the world will worsen in 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.

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.

Mobile broadband, enabled by the proliferation of high-speed mobile computing devices including smartphones and tablets, will be one of the largest growth areas in 2012. Particularly as the price of these computing devices comes down, enabling further penetration in emerging markets.