Another Iconic Interview for Via Satellite

It has certainly been an interesting few weeks on the interview front. Following on from our interview with Jeff Bezos, we got the opportunity to talk with another of world’s most famous business people, Richard Branson. It has been an honor to interview these iconic figures in the business world, and find out how they see opportunities across the satellite and space sector.

It has been an interesting few days in the satellite sector, with news emerging that Echostar has expressed interest in acquiring Inmarsat. While Inmarsat rejected the initial approach, it seems this won’t be the last of the story, and others could also show an interest. It is remarkable, really, as we have not seen any huge consolidation in our sector for a long time. There has been the odd deal here and there, but overall the landscape has remained stable over the last few years. However, with more LEO operators set to enter the fray, we could be in the calm before the storm. Maybe Echostar’s move will now kickstart some consolidation in the industry, although history tells us, there is often more talk of consolidation than actual consolidation.

Finally, I want to say a big thank you to all those who attended and supported our fifth Global Connected Aircraft Summit in San Diego recently. The show was a great success and we had great keynotes from the likes of Apple, Oracle, Emirates and Viasat, and we have always had strong support from our friends in the satellite community. We look forward to seeing you in San Diego again at next year’s summit.

And finally, we are off to Singapore soon for ConnecTech Asia. We look forward to seeing you all there and finding out the latest in one of the most vibrant regions for satellite communications. VS