Hong Kong – With over 250 delegates from global and regional satellite operators, manufacturers and content providers, CASBAA concluded its 10th Satellite Industry Forum on June 14 in Singapore. The major demand drivers in the APAC region were identified during the panel sessions at the Forum. HDTV was earmarked as the key driver to push the satellite communications business forward, especially the sports content in HD. However, some broadcasters remained uncertain about the immediate returns that can be made from major investments in HD channels. Apart from HD, there is a lot of new business out there for the satellite industry. Christophe Bauer, VP Commercial Sales of SpaceX said that most growth will be on the fixed satellite side. Growth in DTH will continue and MSS operators will focus on the provision of data and other mobile services. Most broadcasters agreed that satellite remains their dominant long-haul delivery platform in the region, even though fiber alternatives may increase. Meanwhile, launch programmes were never far from the thoughts of delegates and speakers at the CASBAA Forum. Yin Liming, President of China Great Wall Industry Corporation announced during his keynote speech that the first flight of its new generation launch vehicle, Long March 5, is planned for 2014. The vehicle will be able to lift the world’s heaviest satellites. The challenges for the coming year rounded off the CASBAA Forum with the regional industry leaders providing predictions for the next 12 months. The potential for consolidation was highlighted by Tom Choi, CEO and Co-Founder of ABS, who confirmed that his company has been exploring potential opportunities, “There is room for consolidation. All smaller satellite operators are in a situation where they are constantly competing with the larger operators. I believe there needs to be a second round of consolidation.” “As demonstrated during the CASBAA Singapore Satellite Industry Forum, we have come to a consensus that the industry continues to see robust demand. The commitment by global and regional satellite operators, satellite manufacturers and content providers remains undimmed,” said Simon Twiston Davies, CEO of CASBAA.
Ad – Before Content
Related Articles
- PlayBox Neo Highlights Latest Advances in Smart Media Playout at April 2024 NAB Show
- Taiwanese Documentary On the Train to premiere in Japan
- Bolin Partners with NDI to Integrate Advanced Connectivity Across Product Line
- Atomos to Offer Camera to Cloud with MediaSilo
- Pixotope brings the power of Unreal Engine to automated and news broadcast graphics
- Eamon Drew Joins Atomos as Chief Business Development Officer