[Satellite TODAY Insider 11-10-10] NSR urged investors to consider the strength of the satellite capacity market in a research study released Nov. 9 that showed the global economic recession did little to slow down the sector in 2009.
    According to NSR’s “Global Assessment of Satellite Supply and Demand, 7th Edition,” the capacity industry picked up more than $400 million in new leasing revenues in 2009, and reached $9.7 billion in revenue by the end of the year. The study also projects that the capacity market will build on its momentum in 2010 with a potential revenue increase of $500 million or more on top of its 2009 revenue totals.
The firm became even more positive in its long-term projections and said it is likely that total commercial satellite capacity leasing revenues will increase by $6.6 billion over the 10-year period between 2009 and 2019. On average, the world’s commercial satellite operators are set to enjoy annual revenue increases of 5.4 percent, driven by higher values on new and existing capacity contracts.
    NSR Senior Analyst Patrick French told Satellite TODAY Insider that the satellite capacity sector’s greatest asset is the diversity of C-, Ku- and Ka-band transponder demand drivers, followed by wholesale capacity leasing assessments for the high-throughput satellite segment. “The DTH sector alone will see nearly $1.6 billion in net increases for capacity leasing revenues, with a further $2 billion or more coming from capacity leasing into the video distribution and video contribution markets.”
Other strong performances will include data services, said French, who forecasts steady gains in the broadband services sector with growth in broadband VSAT networking pushing growth in Ku-band capacity leases and satellite broadband Internet access driving HTS capacity leasing. “The combined broadband services segment could add almost $2.2 billion in new revenues to the industry by 2019, plus other additional revenues will come from segments like mobility and backhaul.”
     NSR’s study is consistent with Satellite Industry Association (SIA) and Futron Corp. research released in June that showed transponder agreement revenues increasing from $10.2 billion in 2008 to $11 billion in 2009 — a 7.8 percent growth rate, exceeding the 6 percent growth posted from 2007 to 2008.
    While SIA and Futron were reluctant to say that the satellite industry did not feel any effects of the recession, none of the declines reported were associated with capacity providers. “The economic slump had an impact on the rate of growth for satellite manufacturers, the launch industry and the ground segment manufacturers,” SIA said in its report.

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Eutelsat Data, Value-Added Service Revenues Spark First Quarter Boost    Satellite Today   November 5, 2010
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