As chairman of SATELLITE, I get a year-long peek behind-the-scenes at how our speakers and participating companies prepare for each show. The following is a list of what stood out as the boldest bullet points made during the satellite industry’s “March Madness” week in Washington D.C.
1. In a period of transition, some satellite operators are looking for a new identity. News of the proposed merger of Intelsat and OneWeb dropped right before the show — one example of a unique merger of GEO and LEO infrastructure. Operators need to cement themselves in their identity sooner rather than later.
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2. Other satellite operators who are much more solidified in their identities and thriving in mobile markets are pushing hard for tech advancements on the ground. Sessions about flat-panel antennas and satellite terminal development were among SATELLITE 2017’s most popular events.
3. Today’s tense geopolitical climate creates an uncertain and uncomfortable environment for the commercial space community. Trump, Brexit, travel bans and French Elections were on the tip of everyone’s tongue, reserved to private conversations. Nobody in the commercial satellite industry wants a trade war.
4. There’s real opportunity in satellite imagery and sensing markets, but in order to capitalize, satellite providers have to think beyond simple data collection and create the application that consumers demand.
5. There is some good news for the government sector. Every world leader is looking to increase military and cybersecurity spending, which could bring commercially provided government satcom services back into the spotlight.
6. New entrants need to ante up with definitive business models, now. Healthy skepticism and exhaustive market research keeps the tab running and nothing calms anxiety like a fiscal battle plan backed by customers willing to spend.
7. Launchers are still multiplying and getting cheaper and it’s still not enough to meet the demand for access to orbit. We are quickly approaching a reality where we need to launch daily, not monthly. VS
