Summer Winds Down, Fall Brings New Questions to the Industry

I write this in mid-August as the summer slowly starts to wind into fall. It has been a year unlike any other for us all, both personally and professionally. The satellite industry has been key during the pandemic, ensuring connectivity in remote communities, bringing entertainment to millions of people across the world.

However, despite the overall resilience of the industry, there are questions. One of the markets long touted for its opportunity is maritime, connecting cruise ships and commercial shipping companies. However, as companies face difficult times due to the pandemic, will connectivity projects be sidelined, or will they be more important than ever? I spoke with Maersk and players in the satellite industry to find out.

Speaking of the future of connectivity, my colleague Jeff Hill takes a look at developments in the High-Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) arena, and how these could dramatically reshape how we connect the world. It really shows the cutting edge of technology, and how it can be used to benefits people in rural communities. This is a really interesting story.

Our September edition is usually the one that goes to International Broadcasting Convention (IBC), one of the world’s biggest, if not biggest broadcasting events and trade shows that takes place in Amsterdam. Unfortunately, IBC like most events, won’t take place in a physical form this year, but broadcasting and satellite remains an important conversation for our industry. My colleague, Rachel Jewett takes a look at the broadcasting market and talks to the likes of Eutelsat CEO Rodolphe Belmer about how this market is shaping up for satellite.

Five months into this pandemic, I know we are missing seeing our friends and colleagues from the industry. I can only hope that everybody is doing well and wish all of you, your colleagues, your friends and your loved ones the best of health. At Via Satellite, we don’t take our role lightly and we aim to provide you the very best information in different formats. We have hosted a number of digital events in addition to our bi-weekly On Orbit podcast, and weekly Thursday Morning Conversations (TMCs) as we aim to provide you both interesting and entertaining information you during these difficult times. We will see you again soon.