The Tuesday morning session “Global Satellite Operators: The Future is Now” opened with a futuristic video starring a team of space scientists using 3D computers to plan launches and monitor satellites orbiting the Earth.
Leaders from satellite operators Eutelsat, SES, Viasat, Telesat, Intelsat, and SES engaged in an important dialogue around uncertainties throughout the 90-minute session, which drew hundreds of SATELLITE 2019 participants.
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SES President and CEO Steve Collar stressed the importance of focusing on the next stage of innovation. “It’s really made a difference in the service we provide, and the quality and economics,” said Collar. “We’re in a robust time in our industry … and we’re looking for the next generation of satellites that can deliver the right performance to our customer.”
Eutelsat CEO Rodolphe Belmer noted that video represents 60 percent of the company’s revenues. “It is a very profitable business,” he said. “We expect it to continue over the next few years … our video business is very resilient.”
Viasat Chairman and CEO Mark Dankberg admitted that striking a balance between cost and technology is tricky. “It’s easy to make IFC on one airplane, because the real problems don’t come until you have hundreds of planes.”
Belmer said that a lot of future partnerships are contingent on what happens with C-band spectrum. “The dispute on the frequencies is a very strong concern for our industry. If we are to provide internet … we need to be able to operate on these frequencies.”
Telesat CEO Daniel S. Goldberg noted the satellite industry’s reputation as a purveyor of expensive goods and services has been a barrier to opportunity. “There is a perception that our services are niche and expensive. You can shatter that perception by making it look like a layer 2 Ethernet service.” VS
