Both DVB-RCS and DOCSIS offer varying degrees of viability for interactive satellite services, according to a study by Northern Sky Research. DVB-RCS is already a commercial reality, while DOCSIS over satelliteis not yet available, but it will potentially offer an imbedded feature set and price point rivaling most satellite platforms available today, concludes the study, “DVB-RCS and DOCSIS: Evaluating the Prospects for Standards-Based Broadband Satellite Growth.”

Both standards are generating global interest and represent an important step toward greater broadband satellite market growth. In fact DVB-RCS and DOCSIS are expected to generate over 250,000 total deployments by 2007, the study says.