Click on the image to read the digital edition of Via Satellite, September 2013.

As a teaser to the newly redesigned and freshly restructured Via Satellite, we bring you the 10 best quotes from top industry executives interviewed in our September issue. From a behind-the-scenes look of the 20-year history of 03b Networks, to key insights on in-flight connectivity from four of the biggest airlines today, and a review of the top technology being launched at the upcoming International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) 2013, this issue is the flagship of a new era for Via Satellite.

These are the top 10 quotes from Via Satellite magazine’s September 2013 issue:

The actual usage amongst passengers is still very low. There is a need on behalf of passengers, but the usage isn’t there now. There is still a great deal of technology development taking place here also. You have seen some airlines like Qantas step- ping out of it. We definitely feel that connectivity is the way to go and that this is the right moment and the right time. – Peter Verheidje, head of R&D in-flight services for Air France/KLM

You look at more operational things, and the ability to optimize the way the aircraft is flown, real-time weather updates so you can potentially change your flight path is something else that could result. You can do things like optimize fuel efficiency of the flight plan, etc. There are any number of things you can do operationally to make this a better experience for customers. I think that is the paradigm shift. It is not just about in-flight entertainment, it is about bringing the whole aircraft online and seeing what that allows you to do. – Jaime Perry, business development director, JetBlue

We still think Ka-band is very far into the future – we are talking many years. There are still not many Ka-band satellites over water and yes, there are Ka-band satellites are over ground. [But] we don’t see companies launching satellites just to provide connectivity to airlines. We have severe doubts as to whether that is going to be a business case for any provider. We still have a very much ‘wait and see’ opinion. We think Ku-band for wide-body aircraft will still be the dominating technology for the next three to five years. – Bernhardt Seiter, director, product management, cabin interior & IFE, Lufthansa

When the Ka-band system is launched, there is going to be a learning curve, as there has been with other communications systems to date and I just hope that for once the experts in our industry can address such issues really quickly to avoid years of pain! The track record is not good. The selection of a Ku-band system now is about our desire to get connectivity to all of our passengers in the earliest possible time frame. Our passengers cannot wait. – Patrick Brannelly, vice president, corporate communications, marketing & brand product, publishing, digital & events, Emirates

Last year at IBC we saw announcements about HEVC; this year at IBC you’ll see products that support this technology and next year you will [see] mass deployments. – Thomas Van den Driessche, vice president, market strategy, Newtec

I think we’re at a point where we need a real timeline for a new standard because innovation keeps growing. … It’s difficult for our clients to discern which technologies are real novelties and which are not. I’m looking forward to when the debate is ended and there is a standard way to apply innovations that are interoperable. – Benoit Fouchard, chief strategy officer of Ateme

You have a broadcaster handing over to a network, handing over to a satellite operator. At each point in the chain, providers want to monitor the signal to ensure they are meeting their Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and to show the handoffs were handled correctly. – Janne Morstol, chief product officer for Nevion

Some of these high-speed 4K and 8K services will need such high data rates, that normal transponders will not be adequate – they’re going to have to go to these wideband transponders. – Lou Dubin, Comtech’s vice president of product management

I can certainly say that if I had not met John [Dick] or had his influence or mentorship, there would not have been an O3b. – Greg Wyler, founder and CEO, O3b Networks

After the first meeting with Greg and John Dick, I left inspired for the first time in my career. I remember my first contact was Greg saying I want to buy a network the way people say they want to buy a car. It was bizarre. I was thinking it was some kind of prank call but sure enough they bought a CDMA450 network and proceeded to offer Kigali real broadband for the first time and connect a swathe of schools with national fiber optics. – John Finney, O3b Networks chief commercial officer