Asia-Pacific Broadcasting (APB) Satellie Special Supplement 2015 | Page 11

lite broadband communications
at our recent conference was very
exciting and a clear indication that the
strategy is already bearing fruit.
Earlier this
year, Inmarsat
announced
its new open
technology
strategy, which
envisages a
network in which
Inmarsat enables
many different
types of devices
to be connected
wherever and
whenever
required. For
media users,
Inmarsat has
already seen
some fascinating
examples of
the sort of
solution that
this partnership
can deliver; for
example, a drone
developed by
Parrot which is
optimised to send
live video over a
BGAN terminal.
How would you evaluate the pros-
pects of 4K Ultra UD, and can you
elaborate some of the initiatives and
efforts undertaken by Inmarsat to
develop this technology?
Turner: The drive for better video qual-
ity has been constant in the broadcast
industry but the pace of adoption has
differed markedly. For example, many
broadcasters still have not completed
the change to HD and while there
have been many developments in 4K
Ultra HD distribution, there is little
likelihood of this becoming a de facto
standard for news contribution in the
near future.
That said, the drive for higher qual-
ity is being supported by the develop-
ment of new encoding standards such
as H.265/HEVC, which approximately
doubles the video quality that can be
achieved at a given throughput. We
are already working with solutions
providers to take advantage of these
technologies to enable users to get the
very best video quality from Inmarsat’s
networks.
What are the other growth areas
which Inmarsat see particular po-
tential in Asia-Pacific, and how is
Inmarsat equipped to meet demand
for services in these areas?
Turner: There is huge potential in the
aviation and maritime sectors, with
GX ideally positioned to deliver the
extra throughput that these markets
demand. But Inmarsat’s great advan-
tage is a seamless set of solutions that
allows us to meet customers’ needs
wherever they occur.
The development of the “Internet
of Things” (IoT) depends on ubiquitous
connectivity and this is one of the fun-
damental reasons for launching our
Open Technology strategy. Real-time
monitoring of agriculture, transpor-
tation and energy installations are
just a few examples in this area. And
Inmarsat is already looking to the
future with work beginning on the
development of the next generation of
satellites: the I6 constellation.
Lastly, what do you think are some of
the most immediate challenges facing
the broadcast and media industries?
Turner: One of the biggest challenges
is to win the competition for the audi-
ence’s time. This is a competition
that grows fiercer by the day as new
products and services add to the
clamour for attention. This means
that media companies must create
innovative ways to engage with their
audience — indeed “audience” may
be the wrong term because it implies
passive consumption instead of active
engagement.
For technology suppliers, it is es-
sential to understand this competitive
landscape and ensure that solutions
are designed to enable this process of
innovation. Inmarsat’s experience has
been that the best way to do this is by
establishing partnerships, by work-
ing with suppliers, distributors and
end-users to create truly cutting-edge
solutions. It is only by working in this
way that we can create solutions that
truly deliver.
❝ One of the biggest challenges is to
win the competition for the audience’s
time. This is a competition that grows
fiercer by the day as new products and
services add to the clamour for attention.
This means that media companies must
create innovative ways to engage with
their audience. ❞
An
Supplement
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