[Satellite TODAY 04-09-10] After a year of economic uncertainty, the North American satellite broadband industry became the first region to top 1 million subscribers, with Western Europe likely to exceed 100,000 subscribers before the end of 2010, according to an NSR research report released April 8.
    NSR projects that broadband VSAT networking, satellite broadband access and broadband trunking and backhaul services will generate nearly $8.8 billion by 2019, a growth of 135 percent over 2009. The report also claims that global satellite broadband access will add the most new revenues, contributing $4.1 billion between 2009 and 2019 and surpassing traditional broadband VSAT as the leading revenue market by 2013.
    While the imminent launch of the second generation of high throughput satellites like ViaSat-1, KaSat, Jupiter and Hylas-1 have created options for broadband satellite customers, the industry still faces the challenge of changing the perceptions of its service in government agencies and consumers.