CommunicAsia brought lots of talking points this year as the industry gathered to talk about the market and the growth prospects in this most vibrant of markets for satellite communications. New AsiaSat CEO Roger Tong wasted little time in making an impact with colorful remarks at the CASBAA event prior to CommunicAsia, particularly with his thoughts about Intelsat’s 5G strategy in the United States, and how it could impact satellite business in Asia.

What seems to be interesting is how broadcasting will play in this new future. Even in Asia, which has seen rapid growth of DTH platforms, growth is clearly slowing. Adoption of 4K still seems a long way off, and all of a sudden a fairly strong revenue stream is facing pressure, even if it is not going away anytime soon. One of the things I have noticed at many events is the satellite industry loves the word “transition.” After all, it seems to be an industry permanently in a”‘transitional phase.” But, it does feel like we are on the potential of something seismic. With so many aggressive business plans and companies looking less and less at GEO satellites, it feels like something has to give over the next few years. It will be fascinating to watch and see where all this demand for satellite will come from, and whether the industry can truly show it can play an expanded role in this complex IOT communications ecosystem of the future.

We hope you enjoy this edition of Via Satellite. We bring you some great content this month, particular on on-orbit satellite servicing, which is another huge topic of interest for the industry. We hope you are enjoying the Summer and we look forward to seeing you soon at the major trade shows in September. VS