Back to Contents 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Vol. 3 No. 7, November 2005 Click on the title to go Click on the title to go directly to the story directly to the story REGIONAL COVER STORY FEATURE CASE STUDY UPDATES 20/ Emergency 23 / Eutelsat’s Next 27 / Voom HD News 33 / Satellite Digital Preparedness– Move – and Accelerates HD Multimedia If Not Now, Satellite’s Editing Broadcasting Then When? Long-term Process Services Prospects Introduced in Asia By Bruce Elbert By Chris Forrester By Bernardo Schneiderman . The natural disasters brought There’s rarely a dull moment Voom HD News A new multimedia mobile upon by Hurricanes in the in the satellite business, but accelerates the HD service is sweeping Asia. Southern United States currently one of the topics editing process with a demonstrated once again the occupying the minds of shared digital storage importance of satellite European industry observers solution. communications in is the question over what emergency situations. Eutelsat will do with its fresh pile of cash. REGULAR DEPARTMENTS 3 / Note from the Editor 31 / Market Intelligence: 4 / Calendar of Events Satellite Communication End-Users 5 / Featured Event: to Reveal All: Redefining West PTC2006 Africa’s Product and Service 6 / Industry News Demands? 11 / Executives Moves 36 / Stock Monitor/ 17 / New Products and Services Advertiser’s Index 30 / Vital Statistics presented by Futron Corporation November 2005 SATMAGAZINE.COM Back to Contents 3 NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Published monthly by Asia Goes Broadband Satnews Publishers 800 Siesta Way, Sonoma, CA 95476 USA n this issue we focus on the role of satellite Phone (707) 939-9306 I communications in times of emergency and natural Fax (707) 939-9235 disasters, which has been demonstrated once again in the E-mail: [email protected] aftermath of the devastating Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Website: www.satmagazine.com that recently struck the Southeastern part of the United EDITORIAL States. Bruce Elbert in the cover story explores this Silvano Payne important aspect of the industry, but instead of belaboring the obvious, he Publisher provides a prescription that emphasizes preparation and disaster anticipation as opposed to acting after the fact. Virgil Labrador Managing Editor Apart from the recent natural disasters, much has been happening in our and Editor, North America industry, not the least of which was the recent purchase of PanAmSat by Chris Forrester erstwhile rival Intelsat. Somewhat lost in all this is the newly revitalized Editor, Europe, Middle East Asian market. Bernardo Schneidermann writes in this issue on the newly and Africa launched digital multimedia mobile broadcasting service in Japan. Bernardo Schneiderman The Thai broadband satellite, iPSTAR, which finally launched last August Editor, Latin America after long delays, just went into service last month. iPSTAR is the largest satellite ever built to-date and has a bandwidth capacity of 45 Gbps, more Peter Galace than the 1-3 Gbps conventional capacity of satellites. The satellite has a Editor, Asia-Pacific footprint covering 14 countries including India, China, Southeast Asia, Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. iPSTAR is offering broadband John Puetz, Bruce Elbert satellite service for about $25.00 a month and hopes to get 300,000 Dan Freyer, Howard Greenfield subscribers by the end of next year. The system has the capacity to Contributing Writers, support over 4 million subscribers. The Americas Much is expected from iPSTAR as it is being used as barometer of David Hartshorn, Martin Jarrold broadband’s potential in the Asian market--arguably the largest market in Contributing Writers, Europe the world. The satellite also has the potential to bring broadband services to large parts of rural Asia previously unserved by other media. The Baden Woodford question, however, is can the operation be profitable? Shin Satellite, the Contributing Writer, Africa operators of iPSTAR have been known to engaged in creative pricing of it services in their other satellites. Even at $25.00 a month, the price of Jill Durfee broadband service might still be beyond the reach of users in most parts of ([email protected]) Asia where the annual income is as low as $100.00. Advertising Sales One thing for certain, if the iPSTAR service becomes successful--it will Joyce Schneider spark growth in Asia that will lead to other competing services entering the ([email protected]) picture. That’s what makes the Asian market exciting and worth watching. Advertising Sales Satnews Publishers is the leading provider of information on the worldwide satellite industry. Fore more information, go to www.satnews.com Cover Design by: Simon Payne Copyright © 2005 Satnews Publishers All rights reserved. November 2005 SATMAGAZINE.COM Back to Contents 4 NOVEMBER Oct. 31 -Nov. 1, Marriot Grand Hotel, Moscow, Russia November 16-19, Moscow, Russia 2nd Russia and CIS Broadband Summit and MITEL NATEXPO-2005 2005 Exhibition Tel. +7(095) 921 9533 / Fax +7(095) 925 9649 Elena Peredelskaia Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)20 7596 5205 / 5000 Website: www.natexpo.tv Fax: +44 (0)20 7596 5208 (direct line) Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.broadband-conference.com ; http://www.ite-exhibitions.com November 23-25, Meridien Hotel, Abuja, Nigeria NewCom - WafSat Carolyn Ackermann Tel: +27(0)11-462-3101 Mobile: +27 (0)82-223-1338 / +27 (0)72-797-3512 November 1-4, Houston, Texas Website: http://www.gvf.org Offshore Communications 2005 Inger Peterson November 24-27, World Trade Center, Istanbul, Turkey Tel: 772-221-7720 ext. 112 / Fax: 772-221-7715 Broadcast, Cable & Satellite Eurasia 2005 Email: [email protected] Mr. Ufuk Altintop Website: www.offshorecoms.com Tel: +90 212 334 69 12 E-mail: [email protected] November 2-4, Beijing New Century Hotel Website: www.cebit-bcs.com Beijing, China China Satellite 2005 DECEMBER Richard Theodor (Wozniak) Kusiolek December 1-2, Sheraton Gateway Hotel, Los Angeles, CA Tel: 650-428-1872 / Mobile: 650-504-2978 Conference and Spotbeam Awards Dinner Email: [email protected] Mr. Elizabeth Burkhead Website: www.transglobalnet.com/ Phone: (805) 349-2633, Ext. 18 Fax: (805) 349-2635 / E-mail: elizabeth.burkhead November 7-9, London, UK @californiaspaceauthority.org Global MilSatCom 2005 Website: www.californiaspaceauthority.org Tel: +44 (0) 20 7827 6000 / Fax: +44 (0) 20 7827 6001 Email: [email protected] December 5-7, Sofitel Wentworth , Sydney, Australia Website: www.globalmilsatcom.com Satcom Australia 2005 Peta Lemon November 8-10, Hilton Rome Airport Tel: +61 2 9005 0749 / Fax: +61 2 9281 5517 SATELLITE EMEA 2005 E-mail: [email protected] Patricia Roux Web: terrapinn.com/2005/satcom_au2006 Tel: +1-301-345-1797 / Fax: +1-301-340-7136 E-mail: [email protected] January 15-18, Honolulu, Hawaii USA Website: www.satelliteemea.com PTC’06 Shift Happens: Transition to IP November 8-11, Melia Hotel Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam Tel.: +1.808.941.3789 The 2nd Asian Space Conference E-mail: [email protected] David Soo Website: http://www.ptc06.org Tel: +31-(0)71-527 22 27 / Fax: +31-(0)71-527 41 62 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.iias.nl/space November 2005 SATMAGAZINE.COM Back to Contents 5 FEATURED EVENTS PTC’06 Features Strong Satellite Flavor by Timothy Logue PTC ’06 January 15-18, 2006 focusing on military satellite communications services. That will kick off a strong afternoon for “satellite day” at the PTC. One Hilton HawaiianVillage panel session will discuss IP Satellite Services, including Honolulu, Hawaii, USA examinations of last mile solutions using IP satellite technologies, high speed IP-based satellite services and how IP services are The 28th Annual Pacific Telecom- changing satellite services. The final session of the “satellite munications Conference and track” for the day will feature a panel session organized by the Exhibition, which will be held at APSCC, which will examine current developments in the satellite the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach industry in the region. The last year has seen many interesting Resort and Spa in Honolulu, 15-18 developments, including the introduction of satellite-delivered January 2006 will have much to digital multimedia broadcasting in Korea and Japan. The attract the satellite industry this industry also continues to evolve towards delivery of HDTV time around. With strong support services via satellite and to adapt to the strong demand for from some of the leading organiza- broadband internet services. The APSCC panel will examine how tions in the field – the Asia-Pacific Satellite Communications the Asian and global satellite operators are adapting to the Council, the Satellite Industry Association (SIA), the Global reawakening of the satellite market in the region and the introduc- VSAT Forum (GVF), the World Teleport Association (WTA), tion of these new services. Society of Satellite Professionals (SSPI) and ISCe Conference and Expo/Hannover Fairs, the PTC will again feature a strong satellite The WTA will make its strong contribution on January 18 with a flavor. panel focusing on lessons learned from winners of its annual “Teleport Awards for Excellence” regarding how to integrate The conference itself will begin with a pre-opening workshop satellite services into regional networks. focusing on communications for disaster warning, management and recovery. Organized in cooperation with the Global VSAT More information about PTC’06, including the many other Forum, satellite industry participants will play in lead role, as they sessions focusing on IP issues, VoIP, submarine networks, mobile have in disasters since the Mexico City earthquake in the mid- services and other topics can be found at www.ptc06.org. 80s. More recently, satellite services providers have played a key role in disasters ranging from the attacks on September 11, 2001 to the more recent Indian Ocean Tsunami and U.S. hurricane Timothy Logue is a Senior Director for disasters.