Conference Schedule

This session is the starting point for the non-technical manager working within the global satellite market. Seminar leader, Dr. Mark R. Chartrand, will present a comprehensive program offering study of the technology and issues surrounding satellites. Find out how satellites fit into the total telecommunications market, who is doing what in satellite communications, major issues and trends in satellite delivered services and what the ambigious terms, jargon and acronyms used in the satellite business mean.

New for SATELLITE 2010! GSM backhaul is a massive business for the satellite industry, with no end in sight. GSM and other wireless variants are moving from narrowband toward broadband. What, therefore, is the current and future prospect for satellite backhaul? Indications are that it will be satellite backhaul of WiFi, WiMAX, LTE, M2M. If so, when, where, whom and with what business models? This one-day Summit aims to answer these questions and examine every angle of the wireless value proposition from technology, services, applications and ROI.

This is the interactive seminar that demystifies the workings of satellite operations while entertaining the audience of satellite professionals. Your seminar leader, Dr. Marshall Kaplan, teaches through illustrations, examples and personal lessons learned over the past 40 years. He connects mission types to operational requirements, with special emphasis on geostationary communications satellites. The objective of this seminar is to take each satellite professional on a journey that begins with an explanation of basic satellite operational concepts, through the maze of orbital phenomena and on to today’s issues, such as how to deal with space debris. This seminar is uniquely designed for SATELLITE 2010. Every satellite executive, manager and engineer needs to know how these spacecraft work, and this is the opportunity to learn, discuss and ask questions. The insight and knowledge gained will prove invaluable to all attendees.

Military, government and commercial enterprises are increasing their use of Internet Protocols (IP) over satellite to support mission-critical applications. These applications must provide timely, reliable and secure information to users in remote locations. This seminar will address the major issues involved in building these networks. Attendees will learn packet switching fundamentals, what the Internet is, how the protocols work over satellite and how satellite systems interface with terrestrial Internets. Emphasis will be placed on quality of service and security issues and how to build networks that can support converged voice, video and data applications.

Specific topics include:

• Data networking fundamentals: ATM, Ethernet; DVB

• Packet routing in the Internet.

• How satellites are used in data networking.

• Basic issues with transporting IP over satellite, with special emphasis on the TCP/IP protocol.

• The impact of bit errors and satellite delay in IP networks.

• How voice, video and data can be transmitted over IP networks with specified quality of service.

• How to build secure networks.

• Building bandwidth-on-demand networks to reduce costs and optimize satellite bandwidth usage.

• Satellite networking architectures used in mission-critical applications including corporate networks, military tactical networks, disaster recovery systems and broadcast networks.

• The impact of new and improved satellite technology, including LEOs, Ka band, on-board processing, spot beams and dynamic coding and modulation.

CTO's will set the stage for the day of engineering-level discussion with this session focused on the technology that's driving the future of the satellite-enabled communications.

Is market growth slowing? Which customer and market segments are most likely to be affected? Do the market trends point to new and innovative business models and financial practices tailored for the challenges of this market? Leading industry analysts give their perspectives on how these trends will impact the positioning of satellite companies now and for the future.

Satellite interference is a global problem, affecting companies and organizations big and small. Large amounts of time and resources expended each year combating this problem. This panel will review the different sources of satellite interference as well as global initiatives that have been announced to mitigate satellite interference.

The combination of continuing tight bank and capital markets and strong demand for satellite services has necessitated creative financing solutions. How are satellite companies coping with credit constraints and market uncertainty to get new-generation satellites off the ground? Creative, non-conventional solutions such as condosats and hosted payloads, strategic partnerships and mergers, joint procurements and other joint ventures are being used to help meet the need for more capacity. The world’s leading satellite investment bankers will provide their unique perspectives on the year’s top satellite deals and what this means for the future.

"You can't always get what you want. But if you try, sometimes you get what you need."

In today's challenging market, creative approaches increasingly are necessary to fund new capital-heavy satellite and infrastructure projects. Some of these new approaches have sparked controversy and cries of foul play. Others have precipitated seething envy. Some have worked, and on some the verdict is still out. Two top U.S. and European export finance executives explore recent initiatives and trends designed to meet the needs of the global satellite-enabled marketplace.

Satellite engineers who design comms-on-the-move solutions face daunting hurdles in their quest to deliver high speed links robust enough to operate in a battlefield environment. Some of the challenges include: hostile terrain, RF jamming and smoke. This panel of experts will discuss the engineering challenges to designing reliable comms-on-the-move solutions.

Credit markets conditions continued to be very challenging in 2009 for the global industry. What new financial strategies are proving most effective? What major changes are anticipated in the near future? How do CFOs of the major operators – and some new players – position their companies most effectively in this market? Key CFOs will address these issues and their perspectives on the year ahead.

The satellite industry continued to expand its horizons in 2009 as traditional operators broadened portfolios and new operators/new ventures emerged. What new challenges do these companies face in an environment which remains highly dynamic? How do they adapt their business plans and strategies to address the current market challenges to ensure they meet the needs of diversified customer and investor interests? Insurance providers, new and established operators, and investors offer their views on ways to identify, quantify, minimize and, most importantly, balance financial and technical risks in an evolving industry with increasingly challenging financial market conditions.

How secure is your satellite network? What steps should you take to safeguard it and the traffic which goes across it? Exchange ideas with a panel of network security experts and discuss real world problems and solutions. Discussion will include problem areas, network security hardware and industry best practices.

Modulation schemes have advanced significantly over the last two decades and satellite engineers have more choices at their disposal besides BPSK and QPSK. Although they are advanced, these new modulations schemes still require the engineer to weigh certain factors and make tradeoffs between power, bandwidth, link margin, and antenna size. This panel of experts will review advanced modulation schemes and the various factors that impact their performance.

Every CEO faces the challenge of sustaining growth and innovation, yet each one must deal with that challenge differently. Our outstanding panel of CEOs from across the spectrum of satellite operators will discuss their own solutions to the challenge, and the opportunities they see to find the money to fund those solutions.

Join fellow satellite professionals for the opening of SATELLITE 2010 with the most popular networking event of the show! Catch up with old friends and meet new colleagues as you enjoy good food and drink. The Welcome Reception is open to all attendees.

Chief executive officers everywhere have had a tough time weathering the last 18 months, but the road ahead for satellite-enabled communications looks much brighter than it did just a year ago. In this centerpiece opening general session, the top officers of the world’s largest satellite operators chart the road ahead. How much capacity will be enough to satisfy increasing demands for bandwidth and connectivity? What new technology innovations on both the space segment as well as ground equipment sides will keep satellite-enabled communications viable for the next few decades? What are the plans for new on-orbit assets? How will the Big Four maintain their positions at the top of the satellite services pyramid, and what changes can we expect in 2010 and beyond for these market movers?

Sponsored by Thales Alenia Space

Join your fellow colleagues in the mobile satellite community as MSUA honors mobile satellite innovators and pioneers with the Pioneer and Innovation Awards. MSUA will present a Pioneer as well as an Innovation Award and both will be showcased at the MSUA-7 Awards Luncheon. The luncheon is highly anticipated and well attended by industry movers and shakers, and this year will be no exception. One ticket is included with your MSUA-7 Conference registration.

Additional tickets can be purchased when registering for SATELLITE 2010.

Since 1995, WTA has presented annual awards to companies and individuals who have dramatically demonstrated excellence in the field of teleport operations, development and technology. Celebrate the winners and network with colleagues during the Awards Luncheon.

Tickets can be purchased when registering for SATELLITE 2010.

The Washington Space Business Roundtable will host its annual Flagship Luncheon and Silent Auction to raise funds for its scholarship program. This year's featured speaker is NASA Administrator Charles Bolden who will provide an update on the nation's space activities. Tables are $700, Member seats $70, Non Member seats $90. All tickets after March 10 are $95. To purchase tickets or donate an auction item visit www.wsbr.org.

The list of woes besetting U.S. Government and Department of Defense satellite programs would sound familiar to anybody in the industry – schedule disruptions, spiraling costs, budget challenges, and potential capacity shortfalls. Unlike the commercial sector, however, the USG/DoD can’t merely adjust its financial spreadsheets and defer revenues to a future quarter. The capabilities it needs it needs today, at the lowest cost, greatest flexibility, and widest application possible. How will the USG and its many agencies integrate commercial satcom procurement into its mix of critical must haves? What regulatory and market structures need to be in place to facilitate fair commerce and outstanding results for all involved? What can be salvaged from the protocols of the past, and what needs to be “invented” to move commercial satcom procurement into the second decade of the 21st century?

Despite the global economic recession, commercial satellite orders have stayed strong, and even some traditional players who seemed to have dropped out of the commercial satellite business have introduced new products. What’s behind these trends? Is this business really “recession-proof”? Will there be more realignments among companies across markets? How are manufacturers addressing the changing nature of government programs? Will ITAR ever be reformed – and what does that mean? Chief executives from the major manufacturers face off in a free-wheeling discussion of how they individually and the satellite industry as a whole can best evolve to accommodate the shifting market, add value to customers, and make a profit.

Sponsored by Space Systems/Loral

The mix of business on the world's satellite networks continues to change. TV and radio contribution and distribution still lead but by an ever-shrinking margin. WTA's research showed a 25% drop from 2006 to 2008 in the number of service providers generating at least a quarter of their business from broadcast. Taking up the slack is growth in non-linear content distribution, enterprise networking, IP voice and date and mobile backhaul. Satellite service providers are counting on new lines of business and new markets to create tomorrow's new growth. What will be the most important new geographic, industry or application markets to watch in the next five years? This panel of visionary executives will explain where they are placing thier bets and why you should join them.

Widespread deployment of in-flight WiFi is well underway in North America, with nearly a thousand aircraft already fitted out, mainly with Aircell’s GoGo air-to-ground solution. In comparison, deployment in international markets has been much slower, and Inmarsat-based in-flight cellular services are operational on only about 100 planes. How much is the rate of deployment due to a difference in underlying customer demand and how much is it dictated by the availability of equipment subsidies? What are the long term prospects for VSAT-based solutions such as Row44 in both domestic and international markets? Is the current business model of the various providers sustainable in the long term? Hear from both providers and airlines about their expectations for the future of in-flight connectivity services.

The development of the 3D TV market is underway, with live events simulcast in theaters already producing revenue and companies beginning to ramp up 3D channels, but what is the long-term viability of this market? This panel will look at the potential market for 3D TV and its impact on satellite players.

Competition between Inmarsat and mobile VSAT solutions has become even more intense over the last year as potential customers in the maritime sector have been impacted by the recession. Now providers must not only offer to improve data connectivity, but also justify the investment in terms of future savings, whether in terms of reduced data communications costs or increased efficiencies that can offer an immediate ROI. Nevertheless, Inmarsat has achieved a remarkably successful launch for Fleet Broadband despite tough conditions for the maritime industry. Can Inmarsat maintain its leading position in maritime connectivity? Will major maritime VSAT providers such as Marlink, Caprock and MTN start to consolidate a fragmented market? How are new competitors such as KVH and Iridium faring in their efforts to establish a sustainable revenue stream from new broadband data services? The key players will discuss all these new developments in maritime broadband connectivity.

Want to save hundreds of thousands of dollars and impress your kids at the same time? If you are responsible for satellite ground segment, you can do both at once by "going green". A typical teleport may have energy costs of $1 million per year, and energy prices continue to be unpredictable and rising. A 2009 benchmarking survey of three teleports in the US revealed the opportunity for energy cost savings of 20-40% from implementing short-term changes at minimal cost. The savings opportunity rises through planned retrofits with more energy efficient equipment and opportunities to offset costs with new revenue. And while saving you money, you just might be helping to save the planet. In this session, you will learn from energy efficiency experts and teleport executives what the opportunities are, how to get started and the best strategies to ensure meaningful results.

The idea that satellite-enabled communications can be effective in untended situations and remote locations is as old as the first VSAT on an oil pipeline. What continues to change is the impact of technology and miniaturization and the expansion of applications in which satellite is perhaps the only possible solution. With unmanned aerial vehicles and other air layer assets designed to be “stand off” elements of an integrated Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance suite, the demand for secure bandwidth continues to grow exponentially. A quick look at defense trade headlines forecasts an abiding need for eyes in the sky to either protect or follow boots on ground. What is the role for the commercial sector in providing connectivity for government/military UAVs and ISR capabilities? Is there a public sector market that makes sense within the ISR context? Can the demand seen now and in the future support investment in this growing niche application, or is this a passing opportunity?

The launch vehicle marketplace enters the new decade facing many of the same issues that have hallmarked its existence since Early Bird made its epochal flight 45 years ago. The reigning paradox of strong demand coupled with razor-thin margins makes this a business not for the faint of heart. Industry developments, bankruptcies, and the potential departure of some familiar faces complicate the planning process for spacecraft manufacturers and satellite operators. Meanwhile, expanded capabilities from some stalwarts, along with the emergence of potential compelling capabilities from new players – and the stated intention to return to the world market – of others put the once-placid launch services arena into a state of flux. Can customers benefit? What are the best options for launch over the next few years? And how will the launch vehicle providers themselves bring discipline and value to the marketplace?

The long-running compression debate continues to rage as advocates of one standard tout its advantages in comparison to the other. The history of satellite-enabled communications has been one of innovation after innovation, but the journey has had its fair share of hardware and software casualties. In an era of constrained budgets and delays on capital expenditures, can a more capable MPEG standard become cost-effective? Does it really make that much difference to the end user? Will the relentless march toward 3D and other mainstream and evolving applications drive MPEG-4 toward universal adoption? On paper, the advantages of MPEG-4 are clear. But in the end, is it worth the cost?

This session will examine current and future MSS markets from the perspective of individuals that have had long and extensive business relationships directly with the user community. Together the panelists represent organizations addressing a major portion of the total MSS market. They will share their perspective on the current state of the market and the prospects for existing and proposed new services over the next three to five years. What will be the long term impact of mobile C and Ku band, integrated satellite/terrestrial (ATC), and the continued expansion and enhancement of terrestrial services? How will the structure of distribution channels evolve to market these new services and serve new market requirements? What applications will be driving demand? Our panelists will address these issues and respond to your questions at this session.

Satellite interference is a problem all satellite operators and users must contend with more and more frequently. With thousands of incidents of interference reported each year and hundreds or even thousands more going unreported, almost every geostationary satellite experiences some type of interference incident in their lifetime. When this occurs it is not just the single operator or customer who is hurt; RFI affects all who depend on satellite-enabled communications. The session will provide an update of interference incident sources along with what is being done to address the problem. It will focus on the strides taken with equipment vendors and users in implementing – and requiring – state-of-the-art tools for interference detection, analysis and location.

In this era of tight budgets and cost-justified expenses, hedging on research and development funding could be an easy finesse to a difficult economic environment. These days technology has to drive more than excitement – it has to catalyze profitability, customer acquisition and retention, ease of use, extension of services, improvement of availability, and other key business metrics. What are the emerging technologies that have grabbed the attention of chief technology officers in the world satellite-enabled marketplace? How do the top corporate officers charged with seeing into the future hedge their bets, making sound wagers on the longterm future while guaranteeing continuity of customer service and revenue generation in the short term?

When all is said and done, there are some military, national security, intelligence, and government requirements and applications that simply cannot integrate into the commercial sector. The missions that are too critical, the secrets that are too deep, need a dedicated capacity and infrastructure that sidesteps the commercial arena while relying heavily on the capabilities and expertise resident therein. What role does the commercial market play in meeting military security requirements? How do manufacturers and launch providers prioritize military missions within the context of profitability and attention to core customers? Is there tension in “the system,” or has the market responded with enough capability to meet known as well as surge priority requirements?

Satellite carriers buy each other. Satellite and fiber carriers buy teleports. Teleport operators run global hybrid and local mobile networks. Technology vendors build or buy satellites and become wholesale and retail service providers. As everybody in the business increasingly competes with everybody else, they are throwing the high-bandwidth transmission market into a high state of flux. Extremely tight satellite capacity in most of the world only makes the competition fiercer. In this panel, a group of senior decision-makers at satellite, teleport and technology companies discuss the challenge of developing strategy and executing it in such a fast-changing market. They address the new competitive dynamic between satellite carriers and teleport operators, the invasion of technology vendors into the carrier space and the increasingly hybrid path that communications is following, driven by the continuing technology revolution.

The Society of Satellite Professionals (SSPI) will host its 23rd annual Black Tie Reception and Dinner on Tuesday, March 16 at the Gaylord National Convention Center. The SSPI Gala is the satellite industry's preeminent social and networking event of the year. To purchase tickets, or for more information, visit SSPI Gala's web site or contact Jennifer Hoil at jhoil@sspi.org or (703) 528-5490.

Despite the economic downturn, MSS operators have continued to move forward with their plans to develop next generation satellite systems, and so far, the oft-predicted industry consolidation has not emerged. Although underlying revenue growth in the MSS market has remained relatively healthy through the worst of the recession, a radical increase in industry revenues will be needed if all of the new systems are to provide a return on investment for their investors. We’ve already seen some investments in ICO (now DBSD) being written off. Is this a sign of things to come in 2010, or will a mass market for MSS solutions emerge to deliver the growth that operators are seeking? Will demand for ATC spectrum re-emerge, and if so, who will be first to secure a strategic partnership with a leading wireless operator? In the meantime, who will provide the capital that operators are seeking and which of the operators will be best positioned to deliver new services? Hear from the industry’s CEOs about what they expect for the future.

If the golden egg of satellite-enabled video communications is access to sufficient bandwidth to accomplish “the mission,” the advent of low data rate video encoding has to be greeted warmly by the industry. Rate scalable video compression can work well for applications such as Internet video, streaming, video telephony, wireless communications, and video databases, among other uses. And, although quality remains an issue, we’re seeing greater and greater use of the different technologies available, especially for newsgathering and news acquisition. And … guess what? The quality is getting a whole lot better. How will the use of low data rate video effect the demand for satellite and terrestrial bandwidth? Will it enhance the effective reach of news gathering by traditional as well as evolving and extended news resources? Do broadcasters really care as long as they’re getting all the content they desire?

The driving force behind mobile telephony and wireless access is the need for ‘anywhere, anytime’ communications. However, this trend has contributed to a rift in the population between the Haves and the Have-Nots with a large amount of the global population without wireless access, and the introduction of 3G and 4G services worldwide has only served to exacerbate this digital divide. Conversely, these coverage deficiencies for wireless networks have become a significant opportunity for satellite companies to enable rural and remote wireless users via satellite backhaul. What are the business and regulatory concerns to overcome in the expansion of wireless backhaul via satellite? Is there a technology roadmap for wireless technologies such as WiMAX, LTE and HSPA that includes satellite backhaul in the long run? Which regions represent the largest long term opportunities? These and other questions will be discussed during this highly popular session.

Once considered anathema, the comingling of commercial with military, imaging, and national security assets on a single spacecraft has become the wave of the future, and that future is now. Technicians, engineers, and executives on the commercial side of the equation see such capacity as a solid tenant and strong revenue stream. On the government side, planners see hosted payloads as an effective and potentially time-sensitive approach to orbiting critical assets without covering all the expense. How do hosted payloads play out over the long term? Can governments and for-profit companies peacefully coexist? And what rights do companies yield when they agree to accommodate payloads far from their core missions?

The Eastern European and CIS satcom markets continue to perform. Strategically positioned between Western Europe, the Middle East and Asia, Russia and the CIS are uniquely positioned to become one of the world’s most important satellite communications crossroads. Even the recent credit crisis – which hit the region particularly hard – has not prevented continued gains in key national markets. Attend this panel to hear from leading regional players, who will examine how, when and where the economic recovery is driving new satellite business opportunities.

For the last thirty years, a small number of equipment vendors have dominated the MSS marketplace. However, over the last 18 months, several satellite operators have forged agreements with Qualcomm and Infineon to incorporate satellite connectivity into mass market next generation cellular chipsets. This development has the potential to shake-up the MSS equipment market, as low cost chipsets become more readily available for a wide range of applications. How will this affect the position of both existing MSS equipment vendors and potential new entrants to this market? Where and when will we see these new products? Will new, more attractive handsets reverse the recent decline in handheld MSS revenues and lead to a resumption of growth? Will the introduction of satellite-cellular roaming services lead to increased consumer demand for MSS? In this session, leading equipment suppliers will discuss how they plan to make the most of this opportunity and what the benefits will be for end users.

Don’t miss the marquee event of SATELLITE 2010! Via Satellite magazine presents its Satellite Executive of the Year 2009, honoring the top satellite industry executive who made significant business impact in the global satellite arena. Tickets to the event are included with your SATELLITE 2010 conference registration fee.

Asia is becoming a world leader in the deployment of cutting-edge satellite services… again. From consumer to enterprise and from SOHO to SME, Asian satellite companies are competing successfully in the delivery of both broadcasting and telecommunications solutions. Asian governments have taken note and are not only considering new rounds of deregulation, but are also funding major satellite-based networks to enable long-awaited “universal service”. This session will deliver progress reports from the top players, as well as insights on where they plan to go from here.

Mobile deployable communications are an essential part of any DoD mission. Satellite technology providers are continually pressed to deliver their offerings with more portability, versatility and mobility. Through all of this, one thing is clear: Comms-On-The-Move is here to stay. While initial adoption of the capability was slower than some experts had predicted, COTM today is firmly entrenched as an arrow in the quiver of satellite-enabled communications for military, emergency, and other applications. This panel addresses the current requirements and future needs from those on the frontlines, and will answer questions regarding future needs in terms of bandwidth, hardware, and software.

Religious broadcasters here and abroad are big consumers of satellite bandwidth and equipment. They are, in many cases, on the front lines of technology developments as they strive to maintain the highest levels of broadcast quality. What does this significant end-user group want from satellite operators in the new decade? How will demand curves and technology updates coincide to keep this group firmly entrenched in the arena of atellite-enabled communications? And how can satellite operators maximize the opportunity that existing and new religious and faith-based networks represent?

There has been a lot of talk recently regarding the operational use of satellite in Supervisory, Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) as well as Machine-to-Machine (M2M) applications. The talk has been amplified by the heightened competition between wireless and satellite solutions and amongst satellite solutions in Kuband (FSS) and L-band (MSS) in specialized markets such as oil and gas, utilities and transportation verticals, and more so now within government and military organizations as well as in ‘green’ energy markets. The need within these markets for reliable data in controlling and monitoring expensive assets that are in transit or at far-flung locations has made satellite an integral part of this growing trend to access regularly and 24/7 the position, location and health of infrastructure. How big is this opportunity and where are the shifts happening in demand? Is this a market for high bandwidth satellite or can it be served by low data rates? This session will seek to answer these and other questions that are related to the SCADA and M2M market.

There is little doubt there has been a revolution in the video arena in the last decade. The days of people sitting around in the living room watching scheduled TV are fading, as consumers’ insatiable demand for video content means watching what they want, when they want it and on the platform of their choice. There is greater fluidity, and younger generations are proving more flexible in how they consume their content. These Digital Natives are creating questions along the broadcast chain on how to meet our changing video consumption demands. How can broadcasters meet the needs (and demands) of digital natives? What will they yearn for next?

The quantum-leap in efficiency brought by advanced coding and modulation technology drives structural changes to the ground segment business of satellite-delivered applications. Sectors and applications using advanced transport and compression technology include HD video distribution and contribution, DTH, satellite broadband and IP trunking/backhaul, telco-cable HITS, SCPC and digital cinema distribution. Although DVB-S2 and MPEG-4 have been widely accepted as the prevalent standards, rising capacity cost and technology evolution are also fostering the use of proprietary techniques such as carrier overlapping and short-block LDPC coding to match new bandwidth-powerlatency trade-offs of interactive applications. OPEX savings, however, not necessarily means that service providers always benefit from the use of advanced technology, as collective switching issues and cash constraints can deter service migration to advanced systems. This panel will explore the market for advanced equipment and services in the context of satellite spectrum supply and application-specific demand factors.

The sections of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) relevant to commercial satellites and launch vehicles that came into effect about a decade ago continue to stymie the marketplace and create tensions between friends as well as enemies. The Obama administration offers the chance for substantive review of ITAR, and the chance that a “level playing field” can be resurrected. What really needs to change? Has ITAR been the culprit in the decline of market share for the United States, or would increasing capabilities and technologies in Europe, China, India, Brazil and elsewhere have yielded the same result? Who has the lead regarding ITAR revision, and is industry stepping up to be heard? What are the real prospects for meaningful change in a regulatory regime that most agree needs to be fixed?

Following a four-year satellite-capacity drought, new investments promise big supply-side changes in the Middle Eastern and African markets. But the fiber-optic industry has been busy too, with an unprecedented level of under-sea cable deployments. Further, there are whispers of consolidation amongst the wireless operators, which has traditionally been a major source of demand for satellite backhaul capacity. This forum features experts from the wireless, satellite and government sectors and will clarify the short, medium and long-term future of these dynamic regions.

Mobile Satellite Services have played a leading role in the response to disasters both in the US and overseas and first responders are a key source of revenue for both existing and new MSS operators. How will use of MSS be changed by the introduction of new capabilities, such as higher speed data communications and dual mode devices? Will the 700MHz D-block eventually provide the impetus to develop wider awareness and use of MSS services within the public safety community? This panel will examine the requirements of first responders and what MSS providers must do to expand this market in the future.

The Latin American market is gaining in complexity. The region’s core national markets – Brazil, Argentina and Mexico – are expanding in parallel with the emergence of upstart satellite operators from Venezuela and, potentially, Bolivia. Meanwhile, strong satcom network offerings are being made by local interests in Colombia and Chile, as well as throughout Central America and the Caribbean. What impact will these developments have on incumbent broadcast and telecom operators? How are the entrants differentiating their offerings in Latin America’s competitive landscape? This session will provide answers.

After years of being confined largely to the commercial vehicle and GMDSS safety markets, satellite tracking solutions are emerging in a myriad of new applications, including heavy equipment and fixed asset monitoring, military Blue Force Tracking, flight following, LRIT and personal tracking. Smaller, lower cost chipsets are making satellite connectivity an increasingly attractive proposition, but it still only commands a tiny fraction of the overall Machine-To-Machine (M2M) market. Will satellite M2M be able to break out into a mass market, perhaps in applications such as consumer telematics? Is the cost of satellite capacity still a major constraint? What is the size of the personal tracking opportunity pioneered by Globalstar’s SPOT satellite tracker? What will be the impact of new mass market chipsets, such as those being developed by Qualcomm and Infineon? Hear from leading M2M providers about their expectations for the future and how users will benefit from these developments.

In terms of military space, Europe is a very complex jigsaw puzzle. Countries such as the United Kingdom and France are building their own next generation military space systems primarily to address national needs, with trans-European requirements getting second billing. How will they all piece together? While European integration is being pushed as hard as ever politically, will an integrated European military space strategy evolve as a result? With bandwidth demands in places like Afghanistan and Iraq still increasing dramatically, a lot of these new systems will have to pick up the slack. In this panel, we examine the next generation military systems being built across Europe and the importance of these systems, both for individual nations, as well as Europe as a whole.

As a rule of thumb, a High Throughput Satellite or HTS such as Hughes’ Jupiter, ViaSat’s ViaSat-1 or Eutelat’s KaSat is only financially viable when its business case is grounded in meeting capacity demand for a substantial satellite broadband Internet access market. Yet, given the geographic dispersion of satellite broadband subscribers, such an HTS will never be completely “filled” and will likely have excess capacity that can be sold for other services. This session will take a detailed look at these other interesting, and potential lucrative, markets from obvious segments such as corporate VSAT services to less obvious services such as backhaul, mobility applications, SNG and even video distribution or DTH. Can these applications be served using HTS? What are the advantages and disadvantages within each market? A forward looking panel will share its ideas on this intriguing subject.

The ultimate networking event of SATELLITE 2010! Join the Satellite Executive of the Year for an evening reception in his or her honor. Your ticket to the event is included with your SATELLITE 2010 conference registration fee.

In recent years, the satellite communications industry has experienced an escalation of signal interference, which is adversely impacting broadcast and telecommunication services worldwide. The problem is attributable to numerous sources of interference, each of which calls for a different solution. The Satellite User community has requested urgent action in dealing with this major issue, and the satellite industry has now answered that call.

The satellite-operator sector, with representation from 18 leading operators, recently launched a global initiative to mitigate interference, through various means, including:

 Endorsement and support for expanded delivery of the GVF VSAT Installation Certification Program;

 Advancement of the SUIRG effort to employ carrier-ID solutions as a means of identifying sources of interference generated by satellite earth stations; and

 Creation of a data sharing centre, registered on the Isle of Man.

In parallel with this initiative, the satellite industry has also implemented complementary solutions to address other interference sources: To ensure production of high-performance satellite earth stations, the industry has established an outsourced type approvals mechanism called the Mutual Recognition Arrangement; and the satellite industry is coordinating an international effort to address mounting levels of interference generated by terrestrial wireless services.

This one-day forum – which will include leading satellite operators, manufacturers, users and other subject experts in interactive discussions – will delve into the latest developments relating to each facet of this industry initiative, evaluate their relative merits, and invite broader industry participation. There is no charge for attendance, but seating will be limited. To ensure a place for your organization in this important forum, RSVP today at the GVF or SUIRG websites (www.gvf.org or www.suirg.org).

Long and painstaking efforts by industry and operators are beginning to pay off for satellite broadband. All over the world, innovative systems are penetrating the established domains of cables and ADSL, in addition to serving those customers who have currently no alternative. That this effort has not slowed down despite the global recession is a true testimonial to the resilience and ingenuity of the entrepreneurs involved. Multi-beam operation is now the favored approach. Ka-band is almost universally accepted as the ideal band although Ku-band systems, both old and new, also are holding their own in certain markets. As many as three high-capacity satellites are in production and will soon bring the benefits of lower cost and higher speeds on both sides of the Atlantic. And, finally, the user equipment industry continues to deliver technically and financially attractive products. Leading executives and entrepreneurs will present in this plenary session their views, achievements, lessons learnt and plans for the future.

The satellite-enabled marketplace has seen its share of threats over the years, even as technology and demand have conspired to keep the orbital option economically viable and “infrastructure sound.” At the start of a new decade, evolving network architectures and the relentless expansion of wireless and other capabilities, coupled with declining costs and enhanced services, once again loom as a competitive challenge. What are the technologists doing to keep satellite alive and well into the future? What new developments will broaden the pool of potential and actual users of space-based communications assets? And beyond the 15-year lifetimes of satellites being built and launched today, what does the future look like five and ten years downstream for this sector?