News Analysis

New Report From WTA Explores Best Practices in Buying Satellite Antennas and the RF Chain

New York City, December 14, 2012--The World Teleport Association released a new white paper, Best Practices in Buying Satellite Antennas and the RF Chain. The latest in the Four-Nines series of reports shares insights from WTA members on the trade-offs between cost and quality, standards-based and proprietary, and investment risk versus revenue opportunity of purchasing antennas and RF equipment. The report is made possible by the financial support of XipLink.

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Pay-TV providers in Europe and Asia Testing New Roles as OTT Providers

Dallas, Texas, December 7, 2012--Low ARPUs, growing competitive threats, and rival multiscreen services are driving many pay-TV providers in Europe and Asia to explore new business strategies in video services, according to international research firm Parks Associates. TV Everywhere: Growth, Solutions, and Strategies - Europe and Asia/Pacific,a new report from Parks Associates, indicates multiscreen services now reach 66% of pay-TV subscribers in Western Europe, 21% in Eastern Europe, and 9% in Asia, compared to 90% in North America.

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World Teleport Association Publishes Top Operator Rankings for 2012

New York City, December 5, 2012--The World Teleport Association published its annual rankings for the Top Teleport Operators of 2012. The annual ranking provides a unique look into the diverse teleport sector of the global communications industry. For the second year in a row, the teleport operators reported their total spending on satellite capacity. The Top Independent Operators in 2012 spent $830 million on satellite capacity, which represented 40% on average of their annual revenues.

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The Year of the Spectrum

by Robert Bell

New York City, December 3, 2012--For better or worse – and mostly for better, I think –2012 has been the Year of Spectrum. We have seen a series of amazing announcements about step-changes in the number of megabits we can run through a given amount of satellite spectrum. 

Going 4K: Looking Beyond The Hype

London, UK, November 29, 2012--The opportunities for 4K technology - the next step forward in high resolution video - have been much hyped, particularly within the world of broadcast, though beyond digital cinema the appetite for 4K from end users remains limited.  Futuresource expects a number of broadcasters to launch 4K channels as early as 2014 in a webminar held November 28 addressing the realities and the commercial and technological drivers of 4K video technology.

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Half of Consumers in the US and UK are Viewing OTT Video through a Broadband Connection

New York City, NY,  November 28, 2012 – Consumers in the U.S. and U.K. are changing the way they view TV and video content by increasingly taking control of how, when, and where they view it, according to a new survey released by Accenture.  About half (49 percent) of consumers surveyed in Accenture’s Pulse of Media Consumer Survey are viewing over-the-top (OTT) video through a broadband connection on their TVs (50 percent in the U.S. and 48 percent in the U.K.) in addition to the content they traditionally watch via cable or satellite.

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Europe Half-way to “Digital Heaven”

Point Topic study shows where broadband investment can drive growth

London, UK, November 27, 2012--One of the European Union’s most ambitious targets is to make sure that all its citizens can get access to superfast broadband at home, if they choose, by 2020. A new study by Point Topic shows Europe is now half-way towards achieving that aim.The study has been produced for DG Connect, the department of the European Commission which is responsible for its “Digital Agenda” strategy.

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Filling the Gaps in your Remote Monitoring & Control Network

by Chris Frith

Singapore, November 9, 2012--Increasing globalization, regulatory compliance obligations and the drive for efficiency gains has led to an exponential growth in Remote Monitoring and Control (RMaC) of property, plant and equipment as companies seek to build sustainable competitive advantages.  This article provides a glimpse into this evolving field and how customers can navigate their satellite technology choices.

Next Generation Systems: Now’s the Time

by Dan Freyer

Los Angeles, Calif., November 9, 2012-- Next generation high throughput satellites (HTS) and Ka-Band systems in production and coming into service are bringing massive increases in bandwidth to orbit.  Over twenty new HTS and Ka-band satellites are in construction, each carrying from 10 to 100 times the capacity of today’s conventional C–  and Ku-Band  systems.These next-gen and Ka-Band systems could dramatically alter the industry’s landscape. How will they impact satellite markets in the next two years, and what industry players stand to gain from their success?   

Ka-Band: What's All the Fuss About?

 by Elisabeth Tweedie

Los Angeles, Calif., November 8, 2012--Ka-Band is one of the most popular topics at industry conferences, and in trade newsletters and magazines.  What is all the fuss about?  Is Ka really the magic bullet for the satellite industry or are we in danger of once again drinking our own bath water and letting our enthusiasm for new technology override our common sense?