ESA’s Norcia tracking station in Australia. Photo: D. O’Donnell/ESA

[Via Satellite 07-18-2016] The global market for commercial satellite ground equipment will grow from $5.6 billion in 2015 to $11.5 billion in 2025, generating more than $100 billion in cumulative revenue, according to Northern Sky Research (NSR). Researchers anticipate that mass-markets such as Direct-to-Home (DTH) television and consumer broadband will generate the majority of shipments, while high-value markets such as aeronautical satcom and Earth stations will offer large revenue potential and sizable upside for equipment vendors. High Throughput Satellites (HTS) will also be a major influence for new requirements and revenue.

“Global shipments for commercial satellite ground equipment will surpass 57 million units by 2025 across all verticals and regions,” said Lluc Palerm, NSR analyst and report co-author. “Technological transformations are greatly impacting all markets. The transition to HD, Ultra-HD and smart Set Top Boxes (STBs) are generating high growth in the dominant DTH vertical. HTS is the key transformational force, opening new markets while setting new performance requirements for satellite ground platforms.”

NSR is making these projections in its new “Commercial Satellite Ground Segment Report.” The research firm cites skyrocketing demand from HTS platforms in baseband equipment, similar prospects for the satcom Earth stations vertical, and some new opportunities in the otherwise relatively small Earth Observation (EO) ground segment market stemming from emerging EO constellations.