The CEOs of the world’s largest fixed satellite services companies remain upbeat about their prospects — and those of the satellite sector as a whole — in these difficult financial times but reminded everyone attending the opening session of SATELLITE 2009 that work remains to be done in areas such as ITAR and the broadband stimulus package.
     The focus Thursday turns to the mobile satellite sector (MSS).
    The opening session will look at “What’s Next for the Mobile Satellite Industry?” With the announcement of a possible attempt to combine SkyTerra and Inmarsat as well as Inmarsat applying with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission for permission to take over Stratos, consolidation will be a major focus of the discussion among the globe’s leading mobile players. The operators also will discuss raising funds in a tough financial climate — expect a few words about Coface, France’s export credit agency, providing $574 million to Globalstar to help pay for the operator’s next-generation satellites, which are being built by France’s Thales Alenia Space.
    That session, along with six more panels scheduled for Thursday and Friday, are part of MSUA-6, which is colocated with SATELLITE 2009 this year.     The first session, “Satellite Services Enabling Broadband on the Move,” brings together seven MSS operators implementing next-generation broadband systems to discuss the issues that will drive the current and future MSS broadband market into the next decade. The “Hybrid Networks and Consumer Applications” panel will look at how integrated satellite-terrestrial networks are a part of a continuing focus of some MSS operators to develop new consumer applications and exploit the ubiquitous coverage of satellite in a wider market.
    A pair of sessions — “Public Safety and Homeland Security Applications” and “The Role of Commercial Satcom in Net Centric Warfare and Other Military Applications” — will look at how the MSS players are playing in the government market today and the impact they can have in the future as governments look for on-the-move, always-on solutions to provide warfighters, first responders and other personnel.
    We also invite everyone to the Satellite Executive of the Year Award Presentation Luncheon sponsored by Boeing. The event will honor Pradman Kaul, chairman and CEO of Hughes Network Systems. Also join us this evening for a reception in Kaul’s honor sponsored by Arianespace.