Focus: Telecom

Innovation fueled by pure entrepreneurial fervor. Those two elements have literally created a new market segment for the commercial satellite industry. And now that it is here, hundreds of thousands of subscribers often wonder how they lived without it for so long. Amazing. Even more amazing is that this introduction occurred during one of the...

By Peter J. Brown Recovery. Restoration. Continuity. These are not new buzzwords. They have taken on new meaning, however, as a result of the intensified planning and preparation underway throughout the past year. This effort is intended to yield quicker and more effective responses across the board to large-scale disasters, natural and otherwise. The satellite...

by Gerry Oberst Will they or won’t they? Toward the end of December last year, one major satellite operator announced it was cutting back on an existing Internet satellite service to consumers. In the exact same time frame, another major operator announced new and expanded high-speed Internet connections by satellite in Europe. To further stir...

by Douglas Graham Have satellite-based distribution networks and broadband been over-hyped? This is the view of some industry insiders and analysts who claim satellite’s real future may reside in a mixture of new and established applications, such as in-flight entertainment and enterprise VSAT networks that should be a strong area in 2003. Traditional VSATs have...

To be successful, a satellite service must be competitive with a terrestrial alternative if one is available. The level of service must equal or exceed the terrestrial service at a comparable cost if the satellite solution is to gain acceptance among potential customers. When there are two alternatives, the choice of a satellite system will...

By James Careless Tough slogging: that is the outlook for the satellite Internet market. Whether it is selling direct Internet access to consumers or providing backbone links for ISPs, there is no killer app ahead. However, not all the news is bad. In fact, there are some areas where satellites and Internet access go together...

by Peter J. Brown The satellite industry is looking for new opportunities while trying to keep up with the demand for more services. A steady proliferation of robust fixed, portable and mobile terminals and the ongoing attempts by network operators and service providers to squeeze as much revenue as possible out of every link on...

by Peter J. Brown The satellite industry is looking for new opportunities while trying to keep up with the demand for more services. A steady proliferation of robust fixed, portable and mobile terminals, and the ongoing attempts by network operators and service providers to squeeze as much revenue as possible out of every link on...

by Gerry Oberst Historically, a substantial amount of satellite services have been based on either a small number of customers relying on two-way distribution links using very large antennas, or on one-way, receive-only services aimed at many customers with relatively small antennas. To make the next big leap in markets, however, satellite networks in the...

Peter J. Brown Asia remains fragmented when it comes to the state of the regional economy. Although news in mid-November of a second large IPO in the Asian telecom sector seemed to point to a possible turnaround, this development is tempered by the fact that only East Asia and India are poised to see any...