AsiaSat CEO Peter Jackson said at the SATELLITE 2003 show that China will be a key target market for the satellite operator. Despite excess capacity in the region, AsiaSat is preparing to launch AsiaSat 4 and is confident it can make an impact in China where the terrestrial infrastructure is lacking. But, overall market conditions will remain tough.

“We are looking at China. China is surprising everybody with its growth. Asia is difficult at the moment. I think you will see new applications, but I don’t see growth,” Jackson said.

Despite low levels of transponder pricing, many operators are convinced the region still offers a number of opportunities. John Stanton, president of global sales and marketing at Intelsat, told attendees, “We are looking at increasing VoIP business in Asia. We also see opportunities in the government and military sector.”