Via Satellite spoke with Arabsat CEO Khalid Balkheyour; RSCC Deputy Director General Ksenia Drozdova; Thaicom CCO Nile Suwansiri; and Avanti Communications CEO Kyle Whitehill ahead of SATELLITE 2020.
Balkheyour said the show may provide decision guidelines over three main issues: infrastructure cost reduction, LEO business model viability, and how IoT/M2M can become a main revenue stream for operators.
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Whitehill was skeptical about LEO constellations: “Nobody has yet presented a sensible business case for the so-called ‘mega constellations.’ The demise of LeoSat will be the first of many failed LEO ventures.” He said low-latency and polar connectivity will address niche markets, but operational cost, replenishment cycles, and complexity present considerable risks.
Balkheyour said GEO remains strong: “GEO has an inherent advantage that cannot be replaced by other orbits. It provides a stationary platform in the sky which ground terminals can point towards with great ease.” However, operators will need to push technology up and CapEx down.
Drozdova said RSCC plans HEO HTS satellites to complement GEO: “Non-GEO is a real breath of fresh air for the industry, as they allow opening new revenue pockets in certain regions or verticals.”
On the ground segment, Balkheyour noted: “There is still a huge gap between operators’ ambitions and available ground segment solutions, especially in the area of flat panel antennas. I hope they have a breakthrough soon because the respective services are entirely dependent on their success.” VS
