Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (AsiaSat) continues to enjoy a leading spot among the world’s regional satellite operators. The Hong Kong-based company operates three satellites and will add a fourth in about two years, when it lofts AsiaSat 5 into orbit. Jackson spoke with Via Satellite contributing writer Sam Silverstein at the Satellite 2007 conference in Washington.

Via Satellite: How would you assess the Asian satellite market today?

Jackson: I still see the Asian market growing, but it’s the same story of the customers not growing as fast as the new capacity. So sometimes operators are filling the payloads with something different than what they expected. Some people are trying to do other things with satellites designed for direct-to-home (DTH) service in Asia. I don’t have any DTH satellites, but if I did, I would prefer to use them for pure DTH.

Via Satellite: How has the arrival of high-definition (HD) television programming affected your sales prospects?

Jackson: We are seeing growth, but HD has not been developing in Asia as fast as one would have expected. HD is hitting market by market, but I’m surprised there’s not more content. It’s a chicken-and-egg situation, but people are getting HD sets, so growth will just be a matter of time. I think the delays in HD DVDs are holding things back, because DVDs would demonstrate HD for people who have the TVs but can’t see HD because they can’t find content.

Via Satellite: What’s the latest “killer app” for satellite operators?

Jackson: There’s no new killer app for satellites. It’s still TV: cable, HDTV, content, pay TV. All of these things have a market. It’s still all about point to multipoint.

Via Satellite: How will Sea Launch’s January failure affect satellite operators?

Jackson: You want to see competition with your suppliers, including launch providers. Every time you lose one you feel a little more exposed to what’s left. But with the technological advances in telemetry, figuring out what went wrong should be simpler. So nothing will change with our plans to use Land Launch for AsiaSat 5 even though they both use Zenit rockets. We’re staying with our plans to launch the satellite in late 2008 or early 2009.

Via Satellite: Are you satisfied with quality control at satellite manufacturers today?

Jackson: The reliability of satellites has gotten better, but we can’t afford to get too complacent. Satellite operators are still pushing buses to the extreme. We keep wanting to get more for our buck. We want them to build in more and more capabilities for the same money.