George Bernard Shaw once said that “if history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience”. NSR is not as critical about the future of the launch industry for North America and Western Europe but does extend a word of caution towards the development of next-gen launchers.

The Satellite Industry Association (SIA)  released its 2011 State of the Satellite Industry Report, showing a five percent growth in overall world satellite industry revenues in 2010. Global 2010 revenues for the satellite industry totaled $168.1 billion, for an 11.2 percent average annual industry growth rate over the past 5 years.

Point Topic takes regional broadband pulse at CommunicAsia2011

In a key presentation at the CommunicAsia2011 Conference in Singapore this week, leading telecoms analyst Oliver Johnson will detail the factors that could see fixed broadband household penetration in markets such as China, the Philippines and Vietnam surge past the 50% mark by 2020. Mr Johnson, CEO of specialist broadband analysis company Point Topic, will also discuss the prospect of a single regional Asian broadband market.

As budget pressures continue to reign supreme on Capitol Hill, the satellite sector might experience an unexpected turn of events. Focus is now squarely on the U.S. House of Representatives as they attempt to kill off a DISA plan for a long-term lease of a commercial satellite to provide services over the Middle East in favor of an additional WGS satellite. With this new development still ongoing, questions emerge as to the long-term viability of defense-related leasing of commercial satellite capacity.

India’s space industry has achieved some major milestones including developing one of the most vibrant satellite manufacturing and launch sectors in the world today.  However, the Indian space industry has also made important inroads in social development and empowerment at the grassroots level.  The Government of India through the  Department of Space and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has made huge contributions to social programs. 

The invention of the DVR system presented a hurdle for television advertisers, as they worried their valued audience would fast-forward through their messages. While those concerns may have merit, a recent Adweek/Harris Poll shows that regardless of the ability to use a DVR system, Americans may not be giving their undivided attention to their TV screens.

Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region of China, has built one of the most sophisticated and dynamic telecommunications markets in the world. Hong Kong's regulator, the Office of the Telecommunications Authority, has played a major role in developing the telecom sector. The country has put in place substantial infrastructure which supports one of the world's highest penetrations of mobile and fixed telephone services at around 190% and 52% respectively.

The first annual London conference of the GVF-EMP Broadband Maritime Series held in 2010 was described as the most original program yet delivered on ICT connectivity for the high seas, inshore, and the high northern latitudes and it has been announced that the 2011 event will present an even greater range of thought-provoking insights from key industry speakers, together with interactive panel sessions, to again provide an exemplary and innovative conference dialogue. Broadband Maritime Europe 2011: Expanding Communications – Networking Solutions to the Arctic Horiz

The worldwide pay-TV industry continues to grow in terms of both subscriber numbers and service revenue. “At the end of first quarter of 2011, pay-TV service revenue generated from satellite, cable, terrestrial and telco TV totaled $53 billion. That is a 10% increase from the first quarter of 2010,” says Jason Blackwell, digital home practice director at ABI Research.

A recent survey conducted by CASBAA provides new insight into the issues of most concern for platform operators of cable TV, DTH, IPTV and other forms of video delivery to consumers across the Asia Pacific. Conducted amongst the 24 members of the CASBAA Operators Group, the seven-question survey provides an indication of the concerns that platforms in the region have.