SES is still in negotiations regarding the future of Solaris Mobile, according to SES CCO Ferdinand Kayser.
  When asked about the future of Solaris Mobile, Kayser told the IBC E-Daily in Amsterdam that the operator is continuing to work on Solaris Mobile. "But, I am not in a position to disclose any of the recent developments which are under negotiation. However, there are meetings during the weeks to come.” SES made no mention of the fact of Solaris at all in its broad presentation at IBC about its overall business.
   Kayser did, however, give an upbeat presentation where once he again he reiterated that the strongest growth for SES will come from emerging markets and in particular Latin America. Kayser said that Latin America is now “the most important growth market for SES”. SES’s optimism in the region seems well-placed. According to data shared at a presentation, SES expects the number of pay-TV subscribers to go from 44 million at the end of 2011 to close to 70 million by the end of 2015. Interestingly, the operator expects DTH growth to almost double in this timeframe going from 18 million subscribers at the end of 2011 to 34 million by the end of 2015. Like a number of satellite operators, SES is hopeful it can generate strong revenues in the region, and expects to launch another 2-4 satellites in the region beyond 2014.
   Asia also still represents a great opportunity for the operator. SES says it expects the Indian DTH market to grow from 44 million subscribers today to reach almost 80 million subscribers in 2016. Given that Dish TV, India’s largest DTH operator, is one of SES’s customers here, there is a great opportunity for SES here. The operator carries nearly 700 channels in Asia.
   Kayser also shared insights into the potential of the ultra HD market, a likely hot topic at the show. Ultra HD could spell great news for the satellite industry given how bandwidth hungry it is. While the 2012 Olympics has just finished, Kayser said he believes the next Olympics in Rio could be a tipping point for ultra-HD. He said that he also expects ultra-HD broadcasts to start taking place in Europe over the next four years. He adds, “I expect in four years time there will be ultra-HD broadcasts in Europe. The first 4K broadcast may not necessarily take place in the United States. But, it is obviously a possibility. Pay-TV broadcasters will lead the way here.”
   While painting an optimistic picture of ultra-HD, it remains to be seen whether 3-D TV can have the impact many thought it would have a few years ago. Kayser made a point of saying that “3-D TV is not dead”, but no mention of 3-D TV was made in the presentation unlike ultra HD, HD and others.
   While the presentation Kayser gave where was very regional focused, he also touched upon some key industry verticals for the company. In-flight connectivity is one such market where SES definitely hopes to have more of an impact. A recent contract win with GoGo in the United States hints at a greater presence for SES in this market. Kayser added, “I believe aeronautical broadband is at the beginning. Various actors are positioning themselves here. But, I believe this has really important growth potential. It will take some time. It is not easily done. The obvious solutions for this are via satellite. Over time, we see this as an important growth market for SES. We are in competition with other satellite operators, but not other infrastructure providers.”