{"id":65866,"date":"2018-03-13T17:05:38","date_gmt":"2018-03-13T09:05:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/while-demand-is-there-operators-need-to-better-understand-end-users-2\/"},"modified":"2018-03-13T17:05:38","modified_gmt":"2018-03-13T09:05:38","slug":"while-demand-is-there-operators-need-to-better-understand-end-users-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/while-demand-is-there-operators-need-to-better-understand-end-users-2\/","title":{"rendered":"While Demand is There, Operators Need to Better Understand End Users"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As satellite operators expand their footprints into new verticals and customer bases, the key to long-term sustainability will be integration with the broader telecommunications ecosystem. During the Tuesday opening session at the SATELLITE 2018 Conference &amp; Exhibition, the executive leaders of five of the largest global satellite operators agreed that the future of wireless communications will be multi-faceted \u2014 with satellite and terrestrial networks operating seamlessly side-by-side within a range of markets.<\/p>\n<p>Rodolphe Belmer, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Eutelsat, said the next stage of transformation for his company will include major partnerships with big telcos. \u201cWe were an industry based on silo benefits \u2014 TV, government service, large quantities of data for companies operating in remote areas \u2014 and now we\u2019re moving to position ourselves as a complement to telecommunications companies, to expand their benefits beyond the footprint of their terrestrial networks,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/pKm41XVIQ1aGAaggD9X6_ShowDaily18_Cover_Day3_DGTL-300x225.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"width: 120px; height: auto;\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/pKm41XVIQ1aGAaggD9X6_ShowDaily18_Cover_Day3_DGTL-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/pKm41XVIQ1aGAaggD9X6_ShowDaily18_Cover_Day3_DGTL-800x599.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/pKm41XVIQ1aGAaggD9X6_ShowDaily18_Cover_Day3_DGTL-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/pKm41XVIQ1aGAaggD9X6_ShowDaily18_Cover_Day3_DGTL.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"fs-5 mt-0\">Explore the Show Daily 2018 Day 3 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>Intelsat CEO Stephen Spengler echoed Belmer\u2019s comments, noting that satellite naturally complements other wireless technologies due to its ubiquity, security, quality of service, and point-to-multipoint capabilities. \u201cOn top of that, with the massive investment and innovation we\u2019ve seen in recent years, we\u2019ve made tremendous strides in terms of the performance and economics of our services. You look at all of that and it says we\u2019re ready to participate in the broader network,\u201d Spengler said.<\/p>\n<p>Spengler\u2019s perspective falls in line with Intelsat\u2019s intent to create a new spectrum sharing paradigm alongside Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), a viewpoint shared by SES. Ultimately, the company\u2019s goal is to find a \u201cpragmatic approach\u201d to preserving C-band spectrum for widespread satellite applications, while also reducing tension between the two wireless factions. <\/p>\n<p>This sort of collaboration will become increasingly important as satellite companies and telcos converge into the same markets. Passengers riding in connected cars or streaming Netflix on a plane don\u2019t care whether they\u2019re using satellite or some other connectivity source \u2014 they only want it to be \u201cindistinguishable from the other network elements that they use,\u201d said Telesat CEO Daniel Goldberg. As a result, implementing a standards-based architecture across different technologies will be critical to ensuring these connections play together seamlessly in varying environments. \u201cWe\u2019re going to have a much more hybrid, integrated architecture in the future,\u201d Goldberg said.  <\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a67b02f63c9c;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_6a67b02f63c9c = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a67b02f63c9e').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a67b02f63c9e'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>The true enabler for this convergence will be improvements in ground hardware and equipment, the panelists said. Specifically, Mark Dankberg, CEO of Viasat, said he expects to see increasing demand for higher data rates from more miniaturized terminals and other devices. \u201cOne of the things that\u2019s most obvious here is we need to make really small antennas to go on these platforms,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p>According to Spengler, accelerating this evolution in ground technology was the motivation behind its partnership with electronically steered antenna manufacturer Kymeta. \u201cOne of the reasons we\u2019ve made an investment in Kymeta is to try to stimulate the antenna sector,\u201d he said. \u201cThe form factor, performance, size and cost has to get there. We\u2019ve done a good job of building high throughput in space but there\u2019s more to it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cComing up with a satellite that\u2019s hugely capable and then adding ground infrastructure that\u2019s not designed to work hand in glove with that space segment is a massively missed opportunity,\u201d added Goldberg.<\/p>\n<p>Figuring out the right approach to ground infrastructure raises an important question for satellite operators: Is it better to vertically integrate and design an end-to-end system independently, or is that an exercise in redundancy given existing ground segment providers\u2019 expertise? Apparently, it depends on who you ask. Telesat, which is on the verge of deploying a new constellation into Low Earth Orbit (LEO), relies heavily on its downstream partnerships and has no intentions of moving closer to its end users, Goldberg said. \u201cWe\u2019re undertaking a hugely ambitious project \u2026 and for us to bring forward a new disruptive infrastructure [would] take all our energy and resources,\u201d he said. \u201cTrying to leapfrog over our existing customers and partnerships would ignore and diminish the value that they bring to the table.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Eutelsat\u2019s Belmer spoke similarly, noting that the company\u2019s primary focus is maximizing the fill rate of its satellites. \u201cFor the business of tomorrow we believe that only one application will not be enough to fill satellites. We will have to have diverse sources of revenue and it calls for working with distributors who specialize in each niche of business,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p>This approach does have its downsides, however. Namely, too much fragmentation could lead to a disconnect from end users\u2019 actual needs, warned SES\u2019 new CEO Steve Collar. The satellite industry has suffered from this in the past \u2014 and it may be part of the reason why top line growth in recent years has plateaued. \u201cThe most important thing for all of us is to really understand what the source of demand is,\u201d Collar said. \u201cIf we don\u2019t understand what\u2019s going on with the end users \u2014 with the customers whose demand we\u2019re filling \u2014 shame on us.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Belmer admitted that stock prices for satellite companies are relatively depressed these days, and attributed the decline of investor interest to the industry\u2019s inability to generate meaningful cash flow. Some financiers have soured on satellite because many companies have not been able to cover the dividends they promised their shareholders, he said. The next step for Eutelsat, then, is to prove that its legacy businesses, such as video, can remain profitable. At the same time, the company will experiment with new applications expected to grow steadily for the foreseeable future, such as mobility. <\/p>\n<p>Belmer noted that he is quite positive about the dynamics of the video segment for satellite. \u201cThe revenues are very robust and the profitability is good. When we look at the penetration of the service among households in the world, it\u2019s growing everywhere but the U.S., meaning we are sitting on a very solid, predictable business,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s going to continue likewise for the foreseeable future.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The massive upswell of private capital that has flooded the NewSpace environment reflects the potential investors see in the satellite industry. Whether traditional operators can trigger the same kind of optimism remains to be seen \u2014 but it\u2019s clear that new applications such as mobility and the Internet of Things (IOT) are an attractive target. \u201cYou can\u2019t downplay the demand. We all feel there are tremendous opportunities to unlock if we get the formula right,\u201d Spengler said. <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 342:  \/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=\"139\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/6oLhhxDQPiSfZgHeTiBU_IMG_9040-300x139.jpeg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/6oLhhxDQPiSfZgHeTiBU_IMG_9040-300x139.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/6oLhhxDQPiSfZgHeTiBU_IMG_9040-800x371.jpeg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/6oLhhxDQPiSfZgHeTiBU_IMG_9040-640x297.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/6oLhhxDQPiSfZgHeTiBU_IMG_9040.jpeg 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\t#SatShow Insights \u2013 Day 2<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 339:  \/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=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/UWMnJywzRmClGc5rzCnE_40522766652_2ef0c730d5_k-300x200.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/UWMnJywzRmClGc5rzCnE_40522766652_2ef0c730d5_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/UWMnJywzRmClGc5rzCnE_40522766652_2ef0c730d5_k-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/UWMnJywzRmClGc5rzCnE_40522766652_2ef0c730d5_k-640x427.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/UWMnJywzRmClGc5rzCnE_40522766652_2ef0c730d5_k.jpg 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\tBig or Small: Traditional Rocket Companies Will Launch Them All<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 338:  \/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=\"221\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/0Myt9cCLTC8O7nX5ksiw__MG_9606-300x221.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/0Myt9cCLTC8O7nX5ksiw__MG_9606-300x221.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/0Myt9cCLTC8O7nX5ksiw__MG_9606-800x591.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/0Myt9cCLTC8O7nX5ksiw__MG_9606-640x473.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/0Myt9cCLTC8O7nX5ksiw__MG_9606.jpg 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\tContent Providers on the Future of OTT, IOT and High-Stakes Markets<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 341:  \/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=\"180\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/eYXZAOqvQ6ahnMi2EZF0__MG_9297-300x180.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/eYXZAOqvQ6ahnMi2EZF0__MG_9297-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/eYXZAOqvQ6ahnMi2EZF0__MG_9297-800x479.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/eYXZAOqvQ6ahnMi2EZF0__MG_9297-640x383.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/eYXZAOqvQ6ahnMi2EZF0__MG_9297.jpg 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\tNew Economic Realities Will Impact Constellation Buildout<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 340:  \/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=\"190\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/wKfRMmOpRlOks0GuZJJS__MG_9669-300x190.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/wKfRMmOpRlOks0GuZJJS__MG_9669-300x190.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/wKfRMmOpRlOks0GuZJJS__MG_9669-800x508.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/wKfRMmOpRlOks0GuZJJS__MG_9669-640x406.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/wKfRMmOpRlOks0GuZJJS__MG_9669.jpg 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\tSmallsats Face a Lack of Rides to Space<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 337:  \/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=\"192\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bSCD8Ky0RFKpRwb1uAJT_Story2_MG_9336-300x192.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bSCD8Ky0RFKpRwb1uAJT_Story2_MG_9336-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bSCD8Ky0RFKpRwb1uAJT_Story2_MG_9336-800x513.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bSCD8Ky0RFKpRwb1uAJT_Story2_MG_9336-640x411.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bSCD8Ky0RFKpRwb1uAJT_Story2_MG_9336.jpg 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\tWhat Will It Take to Boost Satellite Stock Prices?<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As satellite operators expand their footprints into new verticals and customer bases, the key to long-term sustainability will be integration with the broader telecommunications ecosystem. During the Tuesday opening session at the SATELLITE 2018 Conference &amp; Exhibition, the executive leaders of five of the largest global satellite operators agreed that the future of wireless communications [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":65867,"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-65866","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\/65866"}],"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=65866"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65866\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65867"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}