I have just returned from World Satellite Business Week in Paris and IBC in Amsterdam, two highlights of the trade show calendar. Some of the highlights were Dan Goldberg’s outspoken comments/criticisms regarding the role of export credit agencies, as well as the odd downbeat assessment of the hosted payload market, which has been talked about more in terms of potential than anything else. Overall, the industry is in good health, although I was struck by Intelsat CEO David McGlade’s comments that he felt the industry was doing “not nearly enough” in protecting the use of C-band spectrum.

With WRC-2015 just around the corner, where once again the satellite industry will come under attack from the telecoms/wireless industry anxious to gain access to spectrum, those comments struck me. The debates are being ratcheted up toward WRC-2015 but one hopes the satellite industry is not being complacent about the threat of the telecoms industry despite successes in recent years.

In this edition of Via Satellite, we have a close look at the oil and gas sector, which is always a lucrative one for many satellite companies. With demands for offshore video and data communications on the increase, this market remains an exciting one for the industry.

We also look at two key areas of the technology space: the amplifier market and the antenna market. Innovations in these areas are absolutely key for our industry going forward, and we talk to a number of major players in the market about what we can be expecting in terms of new technologies from these vibrant market sectors.

And in our Perspective story, we talk to one of the bright young minds of the aviation industry, Patee Sarasin, CEO of Thai low cost airline Nok Air, who gives an interesting insight into his leadership style and how satellite will play a key role in the airline’s in-flight connectivity strategy. We hope you enjoy the edition!

Mark Holmes is the editorial director for Via Satellite magazine and Avionics Magazine.