By Mark Holmes

Sat-GE, a subsidiary of GE, will see strong growth in Asia throughout the next 12 months, CEO Andrew Jordan told CommunicAsia E-Daily.

    “Prospects for Sat-GE are good,” Jordan said. “We are growing rapidly through demand in all sectors and notably from GSM backhaul and government/military, where demand is steady. We also serve a number of other sectors whose requirements are simple – reliable and available bandwidth for telecommunications from a trusted brand, GE,” he said.

    The company provides satellite capacity across the Pacific basin using GE-23 (formerly AMC-23), which offers six individual beams, five Ku-band and a C-band. Sat-GE also has established a significant presence in Asia, teaming with Arqiva’s Satellite Media Solutions division in 2008  to provide an Asia Pacific satellite-based HD video platform. This platform enables broadcasters to distribute and contribute HD and standard-definition channels to Asian-Pacific broadcasters and cable headends.

    Mobile IPTV, GSM backhaul, direct-to-home services and broadband are the four constants in the Asian markets and growth and adoption in these areas had increased steadily in the past several years. “As innovators, the Japanese and more recently the Chinese will lead the way with mobile TV,” Jordan said. “As demand grows for TV and HD (high definition) in particular, the demand the bandwidth continues as does the need to be connected via broadband where satellite plays its unique role of delivering service in the remotest of areas. Meeting the demand for telephony across Asia is also driving the need for new cells rapidly deployed in the mobile operator’s networks and again backhaul via satellite is the ideal viable solution.”

    While tough economic times have swept the globe, Jordan believes the satellite industry has responded well. “From what we can see, the satellite industry as a whole, while not recession proof, has continued to perform well even in the current environment, with roughly 5 percent growth in 2008. This is due to several factors: First, most satellite operators list established and well funded companies as their clients; second, this business has a very long-term outlook; and third, services such as television distribution, telecommunications and broadband continue to be regarded as essential services, even during periods of financial turmoil. This applies as equally to Asia as to other parts of the world,” he said. “… There will inevitably be some services which will not be introduced during this crisis due to belt tightening, but as I said, the market is continuing to grow.”

    While the Asia-Pacific region is experiencing consistent growth in several areas, Jordan does not believe this will lead to new entrants flocking to the market, as the era of overcapacity remains fresh in everyone’s mind. “While the long discussed consolidation of the Asian satellite industry has yet to occur (for a combination of political and economic considerations), the fact remains that there is no viable space on the orbital arc covering Asia for new [fixed satellite services] operators to offer services in the most commonly commercially used C and Ku-bands. Of course, this does not preclude new entrants filing for slots in other bands, but it is a very risky proposition to try to introduce new and perhaps commercially unproven technologies in this market at this time,” he said.