The Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) satellite operator business is the most established of the satellite industry, with leaders like Intelsat and SES representing many billions of dollars of investment and revenue. In the past, these companies and their predecessors like Hughes Communications Galaxy and RCA American Communications exclusively relied on investor risk capital and internally ground funds. What has changed to make these companies behave more like debt-leveraged industries like wireless/cellular telephone and airlines?

How We Got Here

The annual ISCe Industry Awards for Lifetime Achievement, Innovation and  Industry Leadership was presented to Globecomm Systems Chairman and CEO, David Hershberg, ATCi and Boeing, respectively at a gala dinner during the 7thannual ISCe Conference and Expo in San Diego, California.

Summit, Mt. Everest, Nepal, May 27, 2008 – J. Armand Musey and his climbing team successfully reached the 29,028-foot summit of Mt. Everest, capping an arduous six-week expedition over the most challenging terrain in the world.

The May 2008 issue of Satellite Executive Briefing focusing on the the Ground segment market.  To read or download the issue click here.

According to the European Commission's 13th Progress Report on the Single Telecoms Market, there are eight European countries that are currently ahead of the United States when it comes to broadband deployment. Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden are world leaders in broadband deployment with penetration rates over 30%, according to the study. The four countries, alongside the United Kingdom, Belgium, Luxembourg and France -- all have better penetration rates than the U.S. (22.1%). DSL accounts for 80% of all lines in studied EU countries.

Hannover Fairs USA, Inc.announced today the conference program for its 7th annual ISCe International Conference and Exhibition.  ISCe 2008, scheduled for June 10-12 in San Diego, Calif., will focus on “Access to SATCOM for the Next Decade.” The conference will feature a unique combination of three of the most important communications events for the commercial satellite, military and government markets under one roof.

IPTV continues to offer a mix of opportunities and challenges. As telecoms sprint to become video network operators, broadcast, media, and satellite companies everywhere are placing their bets on what’s around the corner.

In the cable sector, Comcast and other companies are building up their network capacity and CableLabs’ DOCSIS 3.0 with 160 Mbs channel bonding enables a new level of IP video services. Telecoms such as Verizon have become veterans at delivering TV services over hundreds of video, music and HD channels. Their FiOS business reached 1.5M subscribers last year.

Its NAB time again, and as you read this many of us in the industry will be gearing up for that lovely confab in the city of lost wages. I have one recommendation: check out satellite HD, MPEG-4, transcoding, and DVB-S2 products.

We’ve seen dramatic increases in consumer HDTV set sales over the past two years. With the DTV transition and analog over-the-air shut-off deadline of February 2009 looming, it’s hard not to expect we’ll see an upsurge in sales this year.   Consumer demand for HD programming is driving channel growth, and as a result, demand for HD satellite capacity.  

by Peter I. Galace

Now, is HDTV “the next best thing to being there,” or does it really stand for “Hyped-Up Digital Television”?

Satellite service providers in Asia and around the world are turning to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing in August for the answer to this $1080 question. The betting is that the Beijing Olympics, which China is marketing as the “HDTV Olympics,” will indeed accelerate the adoption of HDTV worldwide and will more than make up for HDTV’s underwhelming Olympic sports debut at Athens in 2004.

by Jimmy Schaeffler, The Carmel Group

Many, if not most, who I consulted with through the many months leading to the March 24, 2008, U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Sirius-XM merger-to-monopoly decision, believed it would favor the merger. But just about everyone was nonplussed by the form it took. This is because not only were there no conditions, caveats, or concerns expressed, but the rationale used to justify it was just plain bizarre. Indeed, this satellite radio decision gives new (and derisive) meaning to the words “monopoly,” “competition” and “antitrust regulation” in America.