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The Satellite Industry’s Counter-Attack Against Fiber

By Mark Holmes | September 14, 2012

It was not so long ago that the satellite industry seemed to reluctantly accept its place in the broadband pecking order. Its only business here was to provide broadband where no-one else could. But, something has changed recently and here at Comsys VSAT2012, the talk has been about taking on fiber and taking customers away from fiber rather than just taking a really small niche market. I find these attitudes really refreshing and it is great to see this move to a more attacking, aggressive approach to gaining market share and deriving revenues.
   Both Mark Dankberg of ViaSat and John Finney of O3b Networks seemed to typify this new “lets not accept our place in the pecking order approach” and actually try and make satellite broadband relevant in markets and areas, even where there is a terrestrial alternative. I like this new aggressive approach.
   Certainly, with a number of number of high powered satellites now in orbit and O3b getting set to launch its satellites over the next few years, the satellite industry will be better placed than ever to trade punches in the broadband and data markets. The counter-attack is well underway.