CEOs Speak Optimistically Of 2004 At Satellite 2004

Industry CEOs voiced an uncharacteristically bullish view of their companies’ prospects for the next year during a panel discussion at the Satellite 2004 conference’s one-day financial forum Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

The unexpectedly upbeat forecast by top officers of both U.S. satellite radio companies, two satellite operators planning broadband service rollouts and several other industry leaders suggests that the sluggishness of the past few years may be on the wane. Reasons for optimism included new broadband services, increased demand for other high-potential services and the availability of financing to fuel growth.

Dean Olmstead, president and CEO of SES Americom, rated the outlook at “nine” on a scale of 10 due to promising new services, an improving economy that is beginning to click on “all cylinders” and the company’s expected double-digit revenue growth. His robust view of the next year comes despite industry “overcapacity” in the fixed satellite services (FSS) sector. One example of a new service that could fuel SES Americom’s revenue growth is Connexion by Boeing‘s in-flight broadband service that will use the satellite operator’s capacity, Olmstead said.

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