AsiaSat Looking At Acquisition Opportunities

 

Via Satellite: How do you view the opportunities for Ka-Band in the region?

Jackson: I would not expect Ka-band will get very popular in Asia in the short term, as it is even more vulnerable to rain fade than Ku-band. It has inherent limitations to operate effectively in areas of Asia where there is high rainfall. However, it is a new frequency that operators can move into when they run out of Ku-band frequency.

Via Satellite: Will operators look to team up in order to boost coverage and offer better solutions to customers?

Jackson: Consolidation is occurring in the satellite market globally as operators choose to achieve growth either through acquisition or partnerships. While our expertise is in Asia, we are free to partner with satellite operators in other regions when our customers are looking for a cross-region or global solution, and in that situation we can partner with the provider of the best capacity in that particular area for the customer’s specific application. We are also partnering platform operators and teleports around the world to offer one-stop transmission solutions, providing facilities such as MCPC platforms, uplink and fiber backhaul, which are expanding our service portfolio for those customers who need additional services.
 

Via Satellite: Have the dynamics for fixed satellite services changed in recent years in the region?

Jackson: Over the past years, we have seen some exciting developments in Asia’s satellite broadcasting business. These include the change of the television format from standard definition to high definition and the implementation of new DTH, IPTV and mobile TV platforms, resulting from the increased consumer demand and the deregulation introduced by some Asian governments to the media sector that opens up the market for more competition.

Via Satellite: How do you assess the prospects for DTH across the region?

Jackson: We see continued progress in the development of new DTH services across Asia. Cambodia is a very recent example who has introduced DTH across the country to compete with the existing cable service which is geographically restrained. We believe the momentum to offer country wide multi-channel television service will continue in other South Asian markets. 

Via Satellite: How do you see the satellite landscape developing in Asia and how will AsiaSat fit in?

Jackson: The transponder market has improved, with firmer pricing for quality C-band capacity and where there is a shortage of domestic Ku-band supply. But we see competition will increase with the new supply of national satellites in next 18 months. Amid this competitive market, we see governments not only introducing deregulation but also lifting restrictions on foreign satellite operators, thus creating market opportunities for AsiaSat. We will continue to achieve growth by exploiting the advantages of satellites over terrestrial services, especially for television distribution and private telecom networks, and our own advantage of our regional presence and of being Asia’s market leader in offering value, good coordination and Asian access to satellite users.

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