PANELLISTS
❝ The satellite industry is going through a paradigm shift in how data services are being delivered to customers .❞
22
November 2016
DTH still main de
SpeedCast CEO named Satellite Executive of the Year
The Asia-Pacific Satellite Communications Council ( APSCC ) has named Pierre-Jean Beylier , CEO of SpeedCast International , as the 2016 Satellite Executive of the Year . Also recently named Teleport Executive of the Year by the World Teleport Association ( WTA ), Beylier has reputedly led SpeedCast ’ s global expansion . He has been instrumental in driving the company ’ s ongoing network and infrastructure augmentation progamme to ensure the “ most robust , redundant global network ” for worldwide maritime , government and enterprise customers , leveraging more than 70 satellites and 39 teleports .
Kratos introduces the Monics 200
With mitigating inteference becoming more complex than ever in today ’ s rapidly growing and congested satellite environment , Kratos has introduced the Monics 200 , an RF satellite monitoring device . A self-contained , standalone device that detects and analyses interfering signals , the Monics 200 is designed for monitoring applications such as multi-beam high throughput satellite ( HTS ), fly-away environments , and in instances where only limited monitoring is required , such as remote teleports with a number of antennas .
Next Month @ Distribution Cables and Converters
PANELLISTS
Dr Ali R Ebadi
Senior Vice-President Space Systems Development Measat Satellite Systems
Lim Kian Soon
Head , Satellite Singtel
Martin Coleman
Executive Director Satellite Interference Reduction Group platform in Asia-
As the most effective content delivery platform in Asia- Pacific , DTH , as yet , has no peers , despite viewing habits gravitating to multi-screen consumption . Shawn Liew finds out why .
Few would argue that consumer behaviour , when it relates to content consumption , has changed irrevocably . With viewers exerting more control than ever before on the content they want to watch , operators have had to correspondingly shift from a traditional delivery model of linear distribution to one which incorporates multi-screen delivery .
Although this is a conundrum faced by operators across the globe , including in Asia-Pacific , the region ’ s sheer economic , cultural and geographical diversity should ensure that direct-to-home ( DTH ) remains the pre-eminent delivery platform for the foreseeable future .
This , at least , was the consensus reached by delegates who spoke at last month ’ s APSCC 2016 Satellite Conference and Exhibition in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia ( read more on pages 11 and 12 ).
Crucially , Asia-Pacific will continue to post some of the biggest DTH growths globally , including in India , which already boasts the largest DTH market in the world . As of May 2016 , there were in excess of 84 million DTH subscribers in India .
In Indonesia , the world ’ s most populous Muslim nation , mobile viewing is on the rise , but DTH remains the “ number one distribution platform ”, said Rudy Tanoesoedibjo , president director , MNC Sky .
Speaking at one of the conference tracks during the APSCC 2016 Satellite Conference and Exhibition , he explained : “ In Indonesia , cable is not practical while broadband infrastructure is not yet readily available — and is costly for the average Indonesian .”
The potential for DTH growth in Asia- Pacific remains strong , and can be attributable to multiple factors , Yau Chyong Lim , chief commercial officer , Measat Satellite Systems , tells APB .
These , he elaborates , include : n The advantage of satellite over terrestrial networks in distributing content over wide coverage areas . n The ability to provide reliable , high-
❝ The satellite industry is going through a paradigm shift in how data services are being delivered to customers .❞
— Yau Chyong Lim , Chief Commercial Officer , Measat Satellite Systems
quality , large-scale transmissions . n Economic growth in emerging Asian countries , which will increase consumer ability to afford pay-TV services .
Measat currently operates six DTH platforms across Malaysia , Brunei , India and Indonesia , serving 20 million pay-TV subscribers . In the interim , much of the content delivered to these viewers will be in HD . Yau explains : “ HD content on DTH platforms is increasing across Asia-Pacific , particularly in the more developed nations . In emerging markets where SD is still dominant , HD penetration is expected to grow as well — in line with their economies .”
And what about 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD )? Measat is already offering two 4K / UHD channels on its 91.5 ° E video neighbourhood , and has been involved
Measat currently operates six DTH platforms across Malaysia , Brunei , India and Indonesia , serving 20 million pay-TV subscribers .
in a number of high-profile 4K / UHD trials in Asia-Pacific .
4K / UHD will represent the next wave of growth for the region ’ s DTH market . This development , however , will take some time to come to fruition , accesses Yau . “ The key development in the DTH sector will be the upgrading of SD to HD in the short-to-medium term . 4K / UHD , on the other hand , is still in its infancy with limited content currently ,” he elaborates .
The next few years is also likely to see the traditional wide-beam fixed satellite service ( FSS ) challenged by geostationary high throughput satellite ( HTS ) systems . These provide multiple , polarisation / frequency diverse , contiguous , narrow spot beams with Ka-band and Ku-band footprints .
Conceptually , geostationary earth orbit ( GEO ) satellites and non-GEO HTS will enable satellite operators to “ expotentially increase ” capacity delivered to the market — at a much lower price , says Yau .
“ The satellite industry is going through a paradigm shift in how data services are being delivered to customers ,” he continues . “[ However ], while these concepts are timely to meet the increasing consumer demand for data , there are some uncertainties on the impact of multiple HTS satellites and constellations on the market as a whole .”
The challenge , Measat believes , comes in making investment decisions on emerging technologies when , GEO satellites ’ lifetimes , for example , span 10-15 years .
What , then , are the most appropriate strategies to adopt in order to take full advantage of HTS ?
Yau describes : “ You can bet big
PHOTO COURTESY OF MEASAT