The mood of the satellite communications sector was much different at the end of SATELLITE 2010 than it was just a year prior.
    The speed of the economic recovery around the globe seems to alternate between slow and stalled, but there has been some improvement in the past year. Combine this with the general strength of the satellite sector even during the worst of the downturn, and even the slightest gains in overall economic activity seem to bode well for all satellite players.
    So instead of focusing on controlling cost and keeping existing customer bases and business healthy, the satellite communications sector can spend a great deal of effort in 2010 on developing some markets that look ready to make the leap to considerable revenue generators.
    Multiple panels touched on the growing satellite broadband market, and the theme that was prevalent throughout was that satellite operators and ground equipment providers were poised to take advantage of growing demand for broadband access around the globe. The market is not yet a slam dunk for satellite players, as capacity remains an issue in some regions of the globe and competition from terrestrial players remains a concern, but it’s not hard to imagine that broadband discussions at SATELLITE 2011 will focus on how to capitalize even further on a steadily growing business.
    The other area that shows true, realistic potential for the satellite sector is 3-D TV. The delivery mechanisms are in place, developed and tested during the development of the HDTV business. Now all 3-D needs is content, a factor that hampered the growth of the HDTV market for years but one that looks to be less of an obstacle for 3-D TV, depending on several broadcasting efforts scheduled to take place in 2010.
    We should have plenty of answers — probably along with a few more questions — by the time we meet again for SATELLITE 2011. Look forward to discussing the new developments.