CASBAA’s Q4 update on trends in multichannel TV distribution, audience data and viewership shows a 12% industry growth in the past 12 months in terms of connected homes and an increase in dual subscription homes as channel choices increase.

Broadband analyst firm Point Topic, predicts there will be over 10.5 million superfast broadband lines in Britain within the next five years. With another 4.6 million cable broadband connections this means that almost 60% of broadband customers – and more than half of all homes and businesses – will be using superfast speeds of 30 megabits or more by the end of 2016.

Telecom World took place in Geneva, Switzerland from 24 to 27 October 2011, an event that focused on the latest technologies, services, regulatory issues and trends in the telecommunications sector. It was also the 40thanniversary of the ITU Telecom event that started in Geneva in 1971. This year’s event was the 12thedition, having been previously held every four years.  Over 300 VIPs, head of states and governments, ministers, CEOs of global corporations attended the event this year to celebrate this important milestone.

After receiving a hit with very few contracts from the U.S. Government’s National GeoSpatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), Europe’s largest EO data provider, EADS Astrium, seems to have set sail east to Asia where demand for EO satellites and imagery is growing across the board.

Point Topic’s Oliver Johnson to review broadband mapping, the challenges involved and the solutions at ITU Telecom World 2011

Broadband continues to spread throughout the world’s population, getting faster and benefitting millions, but according to leading analyst firm Point Topic this has also increased the need for accessible and transparent mapping. It is such mapping of take-up, coverage and speeds that highlights to governments and regulators the evident disparities of broadband availability and where investment funds are best spent.

The Indian telecommunications industry is one of the fastest growing in the world. The industry has witnessed consistent growth during the last year on the back of rollout of newer circles by operators, successful auction of the third-generation (3G) and broadband wireless access (BWA) spectrum, network rollout in semi-rural areas, and increased focus on the value added services (VAS) market. Market entry strategy for Wireline telecommunication companies by eprobe Research Pvt Ltd explores the consequences and opportunities arising from this situation.

The CASBAA Convention 2011 has the industry covered through a compelling range of sessions featuring internationally renowned guest speakers. Themed TV365: Watch Closely!, the show will be staged in Hong Kong, October 31st - November 3rd at the Grand Hyatt.  “As a key event in the industry calendar, delegates expect the best speakers covering items relevant to their businesses,” said Simon Twiston Davies, CEO, CASBAA.

In September 2011, O3b Networks announced a multi-year, multi-million dollar commitment with Ozônio Telecomunicações, a Brazilian multimedia communications and Internet service provider. The precise contract value was not disclosed, but it follows a series of O3b deals over the past two years.

Some of the contracts O3b has signed in the last two years include:

Hybrid set-top boxes are rapidly being deployed by pay-TV operators worldwide to help them deliver advanced services and manage bandwidth scarcity in broadcast networks, according to a recent report by ABI Research. In 2010, only 40% of set-top boxes worldwide featured hybrid capabilities, with many not yet enabled by software as operators were not ready to deploy IP video services. Hybrid box penetration will rise above 60% by 2016 as operators look at IP-based video on demand (VOD) and advertising solutions, as well as interactive content.

The number of homes using the internet to watch television shows and movies on the TV screen has reached more than 42 million across the US and Europe, according to the latest research from Strategy Analytics’ Connected Home Devices (CHD) service. The report, “Multiscreen Connected TV: Assessing Device Usage and Ownership,” bases its findings on a survey of 4800 respondents.