Mobile Satellite Users Conference Will Explore Challenges Of Struggling Industry

The troubles of the mobile satellite industry have been documented well in the trade press. From the high-profile bankruptcy of Iridium LLC to the recent financial troubles at Orbcomm [ORB], all sectors in the low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite industry have come under scrutiny from industry insiders and Wall Street investors alike.

But even though the media is filled with the downside of the industry, there is an upside to the low-Earth-orbit (LEO) sector.

Globalstar L.P. [GSTRF] continues to move forward, seemingly against all odds. Telecommunications pioneer Craig McCaw is in the process of turning ICO/Teledesic into what everyone hopes will be a profitable venture.

“There are now at least 11 mobile satellite service providers delivering communications to more than 600,000 mobile terminals around the world,” said Ahmed Ghais, president of the Mobile Satellite Users Association (MSUA). “MSUA calculates that mobile satellite services already account for more than $1 billion in annual revenue and is expected to grow rapidly with the emergence of a number of new, high-capacity global and regional systems.”

With that in mind, the MSUA will be hosting a conference to highlight the successes and explore the future of the mobile satellite industry.

The conference will examine all aspects of the MSS industry, including the services, regulatory issues, and the overall health of the industry. Highlighting the three-day event will be a scheduled keynote address by Inmarsat CEO Michael Storey.

The conference and exhibition will be held Sept. 27-29 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Crystal City, Va., just outside of Washington, D.C. For further information on the event, visit MSUA’s Web site at http://www.msua.org.