{"id":57483,"date":"2021-05-21T19:56:07","date_gmt":"2021-05-21T11:56:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/in-rare-gathering-asias-leading-satellite-executives-outline-future-capex-plans-2\/"},"modified":"2021-05-21T19:56:07","modified_gmt":"2021-05-21T11:56:07","slug":"in-rare-gathering-asias-leading-satellite-executives-outline-future-capex-plans-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/in-rare-gathering-asias-leading-satellite-executives-outline-future-capex-plans-2\/","title":{"rendered":"In Rare Gathering, Asia\u2019s Leading Satellite Executives Outline Future CapEx Plans"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The executive leaders of Asia\u2019s regional satellite operators share a common strategy for long-term profitability in an increasingly unpredictable environment \u2014 expand the scope of their businesses beyond just satellites. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to be a pure infrastructure play anymore,\u201d Asiasat CEO Roger Tong told attendees at SATELLITE 2021\u2019s EMEA + Asia Digital Forum on Tuesday, May 18.<\/p>\n<p>Tong was one of six executive speakers on a panel that marked a rare and insightful moment of reflection on the future of one of the world\u2019s most vast and diverse connectivity markets. Like many of its peers in the region, Asiasat has been enjoying increases in demand for connectivity and healthy subscriber growth, but declining revenue and net profits.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/g8OKuSSGuiL64al7Cfdw_EMEA20Digital20Show20Daily-300x225.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"width: 120px; height: auto;\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/g8OKuSSGuiL64al7Cfdw_EMEA20Digital20Show20Daily-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/g8OKuSSGuiL64al7Cfdw_EMEA20Digital20Show20Daily-800x599.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/g8OKuSSGuiL64al7Cfdw_EMEA20Digital20Show20Daily-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/g8OKuSSGuiL64al7Cfdw_EMEA20Digital20Show20Daily.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"fs-5 mt-0\">Explore the Show Daily 2021 EMEA\/Asia Digital Forum Issue<\/h3>\n<p class=\"mb-0 fs-smaller text-balance\">Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-primary\" type=\"button\" data-bs-toggle=\"offcanvas\" data-bs-target=\"#offcanvasMENU\" aria-controls=\"offcanvasExample\" aria-label=\"button\" style=\"white-space: nowrap;\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tView More <i class=\"bi bi-arrow-right-circle\"><\/i><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/button><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve been enjoying a CapEx holiday since we launched our AsiaSat 9 satellite in 2017,\u201d said Tong. \u201cThere\u2019s no pressure for us to invest more in [Geostationary Orbit] GEO, or [Low-Earth Orbit] LEO, or any particular orbit. Our future CapEx doesn\u2019t have to go to space.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Azercosmos Strategic Development and Planning Manager Natavan Hasanova said that the Asia region\u2019s connectivity markets are following the same trajectory of markets in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. \u201cThe markets are maturing and while paid broadcast subscribers are increasing, subscriber revenue is declining because of increasing competition, which drives prices down,\u201d said Hasanova.<\/p>\n<p>Tong added that satellite broadband data revenues will also start declining because data service prices are dropping even faster than those for broadcast services.<\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a72d38979fe3;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a72d38979fe3 = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a72d38979fe5').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a72d38979fe5'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople say that broadcast is dying and that more of our business is migrating toward data,\u201d said Tong. \u201cBut, we don\u2019t see it as broadcast versus data. Broadcast has just changed from a 1-to-many distribution model [Direct-to-Home] to a 1-to-1 [Direct-to-Network] model. At Asiasat, we\u2019ve been thinking about how we can better serve our network customers in the 1-to-1 distribution model. To do that, we\u2019re looking at terrestrial delivery mechanisms and focusing on customer needs instead of the specific nature of our infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While the operators agreed on the need to evolve beyond traditional satellite infrastructure, each are charting their own specific paths to diversification.<\/p>\n<p>SKY Perfect JSAT\u2018s Global Business Group President Teruo Yamashita said his company wants to expand its presence across several applications from 5G to data analytics. \u201cWe\u2019re also beginning to invest in a space debris removal project,\u201d said Yamashita. \u201cWe want to diversify both on the ground and in space. We plan to integrate non-terrestrial assets across GEO, NGSO, and even HAPS [High-Altitude Platforms]. We\u2019ll use NGSO, for example, to star providing a data analytics service to our customers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Measat, represented on the panel by COO Yau Chyong Lim, is getting ready to launch its replacement MEASAT-3d satellite next year on an Arianespace Ariane 5 heavy-lift launch rocket. Beyond that, Lim said the company is not limiting itself to space infrastructure. \u201cWe\u2019re looking to completely transform our company, and that means investing in  developing terrestrial infrastructure, specifically with ground terminals and small-cell technology,\u201d said Lim.<\/p>\n<p>Andrey Kirillovich, director of integration services for Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) is busy developing a range of technology for its Express-RV system \u2014 a regional constellation of four satellites that will serve Russia\u2019s mobility markets from a Highly-Elliptical Orbit. RSCC will stick mostly to space, but also work on complementary ground and terrestrial systems.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe want to invest in something different that would serve the specific needs of our growing markets, like mobile maritime,\u201d said Kirillovich. \u201cWe\u2019re now finalizing our investments in our new constellation. The four Express-RV satellites will support 4.4 gigabits per second connectivity, with 80 megabits-per-second download. The ground system will be a 60 centimeter-to-70 centimeter dish.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When asked why RSCC wasn\u2019t following other operators by designing a LEO constellation, Kirillovich explained that LEO systems are more suited for global coverage and not designed for more localized systems. This touched on a general feeling of skepticism about the LEO market from the panel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe got feedback from LEO customers that the service over-promised and under-delivered,\u201d said Kirillovich. \u201cThey were expecting fiber-like experiences. LEO constellations can really shine in enterprise markets, but the enterprise terminal costs are still high. While latency isn\u2019t as important for these customers, it\u2019s still too high from existing systems.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Azercosmos\u2019 Hasanova expressed her belief that global LEO systems will get bogged down in the region\u2019s exhaustive regulatory processes, making it difficult for them to penetrate Asian markets.<\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a72d3897a702;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a72d3897a702 = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a72d3897a703').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a72d3897a703'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Kheng Ghee, Singtel Satellite\u2018s head of satellite and voice support, said that LEO brings both positive and negative developments for the industry.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe good thing about LEO is that it has driven significant investment into research and development on ground systems, multi-band terminals, and terrestrial infrastructure, which is very much needed,\u201d said Ghee. \u201cThe bad news is that LEO constellations send thousands of satellites into an already cluttered space environment. If we have no governance on the debris issue in space, it will only create a more hazardous environment for business. As satellite operators, we all need to sit down together and really talk about how we\u2019re going to solve this issue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While Measat\u2019s Lim agreed with the panel that global LEO systems have to be locally oriented in order to achieve success in Asia, he said the operator was not closing the door on new opportunities. \u201cWe believe that the LEO systems can complement our GEO businesses as part of a diversified infrastructure,\u201d said Lim. \u201cIf we feel the new systems in LEO have something positive to offer us, we\u2019ll look to start incorporating those services into our portfolio.\u201d <strong>VS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"widget-title\">In This Issue<\/h2>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 517:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"121\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/qBjYW5wWS4WEi6Tx9vER_Screen20Shot202021-05-2120at2011.31.4620AM-300x121.png\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/qBjYW5wWS4WEi6Tx9vER_Screen20Shot202021-05-2120at2011.31.4620AM-300x121.png 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/qBjYW5wWS4WEi6Tx9vER_Screen20Shot202021-05-2120at2011.31.4620AM-800x323.png 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/qBjYW5wWS4WEi6Tx9vER_Screen20Shot202021-05-2120at2011.31.4620AM-640x259.png 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/qBjYW5wWS4WEi6Tx9vER_Screen20Shot202021-05-2120at2011.31.4620AM.png 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tAfrican Space Leaders: Unified Policy, Existing Infrastructure Boosts the Region\u2019s Bargaining Power<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 514:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"136\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/pK8PlIs1QMVC2Aqb2trQ_Screen20Shot202021-05-2120at2011.27.5920AM-300x136.png\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/pK8PlIs1QMVC2Aqb2trQ_Screen20Shot202021-05-2120at2011.27.5920AM-300x136.png 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/pK8PlIs1QMVC2Aqb2trQ_Screen20Shot202021-05-2120at2011.27.5920AM-800x362.png 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/pK8PlIs1QMVC2Aqb2trQ_Screen20Shot202021-05-2120at2011.27.5920AM-640x290.png 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/pK8PlIs1QMVC2Aqb2trQ_Screen20Shot202021-05-2120at2011.27.5920AM.png 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tEuropean Commission LEO Initiative Begins to Take Shape<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 516:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"122\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/SkYVlDrQkei0QgmwPe7w_Screen20Shot202021-05-2120at2011.31.1420AM-300x122.png\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/SkYVlDrQkei0QgmwPe7w_Screen20Shot202021-05-2120at2011.31.1420AM-300x122.png 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/SkYVlDrQkei0QgmwPe7w_Screen20Shot202021-05-2120at2011.31.1420AM-800x324.png 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/SkYVlDrQkei0QgmwPe7w_Screen20Shot202021-05-2120at2011.31.1420AM-640x260.png 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/SkYVlDrQkei0QgmwPe7w_Screen20Shot202021-05-2120at2011.31.1420AM.png 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tIncreased Customer Expectations are at the Heart of Satellite\u2019s Mobility Debate<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 513:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"123\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/KLBoZCUVSruqAd2bqBrV_Screen20Shot202021-05-2120at2011.30.1420AM-300x123.png\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/KLBoZCUVSruqAd2bqBrV_Screen20Shot202021-05-2120at2011.30.1420AM-300x123.png 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/KLBoZCUVSruqAd2bqBrV_Screen20Shot202021-05-2120at2011.30.1420AM-800x327.png 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/KLBoZCUVSruqAd2bqBrV_Screen20Shot202021-05-2120at2011.30.1420AM-640x262.png 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/KLBoZCUVSruqAd2bqBrV_Screen20Shot202021-05-2120at2011.30.1420AM.png 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tTelcos Say Relations With Satellite Providers Strained by High Prices, Value Chain Confusion<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The executive leaders of Asia\u2019s regional satellite operators share a common strategy for long-term profitability in an increasingly unpredictable environment \u2014 expand the scope of their businesses beyond just satellites. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to be a pure infrastructure play anymore,\u201d Asiasat CEO Roger Tong told attendees at SATELLITE 2021\u2019s EMEA + Asia Digital Forum on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":57484,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57483"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57483"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57483\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}