The evolution and rapid growth of direct-to-home (DTH) services in Asia and the effect of new technologies in the satellite industry will be among the many hot topics to be discussed at the CASBAA Satellite Industry Forum 2012 happening this June in Singapore.
“As the representative Association for multichannel TV and the communications sector in the Asia- Pacific, it is vital that we hear from all aspects of the industry including the satellite services sector, which continues to play such a huge role in the growth and development of the market,” said Simon Twiston Davies, CEO, CASBAA.
This year, the satellite industry will be taking an in-depth look at some of the key market developments within Asia-Pacific, specifically India, China, Vietnam and Indonesia – markets so important that separate panels will be held to ensure attendees receive the fullest attention for each of the markets highlighted.
Focus on India
Among the key issues that will be covered this year include the Indian government’s mandate regarding the digitisation of the country’s fragmented cable TV network. While this is expected to provide a boost to India’s economy, an increase in consumer choices, healthier competition, and more revenues for all stakeholders, the digitisation is not without consequences, in particular the increasing pressure on limited spectrum and the cumbersome licensing procedure.
Flying High – India Satellite Services
1. Phil Balaam, VP, Business Development, AsiaSat
2. Anjan Mitra, Executive Director India, CASBAA
3. Deepak Mathur, SVP, Commercial, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, SES
4. Ashok Venkatramani, CEO, MCCS
5. Bharat K Ranga, Chief Content Officer, Zee Network
The panel will be discussing the implications, challenges and opportunities arising out of these developments for India’s satellite industry.
Emerging markets to watch
China, Indonesia and Vietnam, with their combined population of 1.7 billion consumers and forecast GDP growth of at least 8% for 2012, are currently among the leading markets to watch in Asia.
China, Indonesia and Vietnam – The Greatest Upside
1. Huang Baozhong, VP, APT Satellite
2. Fu Zhiheng, VP, China Great Wall Industry Corporation
3. Ted McFarland, VP, Business Development, GEO Satellite Communications, Orbital Communications International
4. Rinaldi Firmansyah, CEO, PT Telkom
The panel, to be hosted by Suzanne Malloy, Senior Regulatory Counsel, SES, will discuss the opportunities in these markets, and how satellite operators could tap their key growth potentials, including TV content distribution, mainly driven by increasing content consumption by households in the region via IPTV, the Internet and DTH services.
Asia’s DTH Scene
One of the key trends happening in Asia’s satellite TV broadcast segment is the increasing growth of Direct-To- Home (DTH) services.
The DTH Edge
1. David Thomas, VP, Content Delivery Technology, Astro
2. Ang Soo Khoon, Senior Manager, Technical Operations, BBC Worldwide Channels
3. Aaron Shaw, SVP, Operations & Engineering, Encompass Digital Media Asia
4. Anver Anderson, VP, Asia, Newtec
The panel will compare the needs of Asian broadcasters and how those needs differ to other regions worldwide when it comes to DTH services.
New developments and updates
As in previous forums, the CASBAA Satellite Industry Forum 2012 will continue to have a mix of panel discussions and networking sessions throughout the day, with key industry leaders and experts lending their knowledge and expertise across a variety of pressing issues on Asia’s satellite industry. Michel de Rosen, CEO of Eutelsat, will be on this year’s Opening Keynote Interview.
The forum will highlight the developments from the recent World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC) 2012 and how these issues will apply to the Asian market. The world radiocommunication conferences, organised by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and held every three or four years, are mandated to review and revise the Radio Regulations, the international treaty governing the use of radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbit resources. A key issue at hand is the spectrum allocation amid the continuing spectrum crunch, and increasing the efficiency in the use of spectrum and orbit resource.
Another segment to be highlighted this year is the rapid evolution of the satellite industry in Asia, and how stakeholders should adapt to the changing requirements when it comes to pricing, coverage, application support, and customer focus.
Meet the Bosses
1. Tom Choi, CEO, ABS
2. Cheng Guangren, Executive Director and President, APT Satellite
3. Bill Wade, President and CEO, AsiaSat
4. Andrew Jordan, President and CEO, GE-Satellite
5. Paul Brown-Kenyon, CEO, Measat
6. Adrian Ballintine, CEO and Board Member, NewSat
7. Osamu Inoue, Senior EVP and Director of the Board, SKY Perfect JSAT
At the “Meet the Bosses” session, key decision makers in the satellite industry will be discussing whether consolidation or co-operation is the right strategy in the Asian satellite market. This session also aims to highlight factors and trends – such as the increasing adoption of DTH services as well as the growing number of HD channels and broadcasters – that will drive growth for the Asian satellite market.
