HONOLULU–Commercial satellite companies that do business in the Asia-Pacific region, the third-largest customer region for the industry, must continue to focus on applications that highlight the core strengths of satellite-based communications as the industry faces stiff competition from fiber optics technology deployed by telephony concerns as well as from wireless technology such as cellular and Wi-Fi.

“We will never beat fiber optics point-to-point,” said David Ball, vice president Asia-Pacific, PanAmSat Australia. “We need to focus on rural connectivity and point-to- multipoint applications” in order to remain competitive throughout the recovering Asia-Pacific region. Ball made his comments here last week during a show-opening forum at the Pacific Telecommunications Council‘s (PTC) annual conference and exhibition, a portion of which looked at developing information and communications technology (ICT) access via satellite and satellite-terrestrial hybrid technologies and how Asia-Pacific service providers can build profitable businesses.

Other Regional Challenges

Ball added that other challenges that continue to face all satellite operators throughout the Asia-Pacific region include the depth of coverage and costs of in-orbit insurance and the fact that there still is an oversupply of transponder capacity both at C- and Ku-band.

Ball also said that PanAmSat soon will be issuing a request for proposal (RFP) for the construction of PAS 2R, the replacement satellite for the aging PAS 2, which was launched in July 1994 at 169 degrees East. The new contract is expected in 12 months.

Echoing Ball’s comments was Bruce Olcott, attorney at Squire Sanders & Dempsey. Olcott said that from a regulatory perspective, there still is much work to be accomplished throughout the Asia-Pacific region to liberalize telecom laws as they relate to satellite-based communications throughout the Asia-Pacific basin. He called on countries to continue to implement liberalized policies impacting market access, landing rights and the World Trade Organization accord.

Shin Readies IPStar For Launch

Finally, Ted Sawekpun, sales director for Asia at Thailand-based Shin Satellite PLC (ThaiCom), told attendees at PTC that ThaiCom is readying IPStar 1 for launch later this month. The satellite was developed to target the satellite consumer marketplace with two-way, interactive broadband services. He said that the Asia-Pacific market represents approximately 154 million households or roughly 44 percent of the world’s consumer end user broadband market. IPStar 1 will orbit at 120 degrees East and is a Space Systems/Loral-built FS-1300L satellite. It has a design life of approximately 12 years. Arianespace will launch the bird on a 5-series rocket this quarter.

Sawekpun said the satellite will feature 94 user beams, 84 spot-beams, three shaped beams, seven broadcast beams and 18 Ka-band spotbeams for gateway use. In addition to providing consumer-based broadband services, other applications for IPStar will include: distance learning; rural telephony; telemedicine; emergency communications and disaster management; mobile training and videoconferencing. He also said that the company is planning to launch its ThaiCom 5 spacecraft in 2006. ThaiCom 5 will extend the capacity of the aging (and semi-healthy) ThaiCom 3 satellite.

Focus On Customer Needs

During a separate panel discussion during the conference, ViaSat Inc. CEO Mark Dankberg said that his company has learned that, depending on the marketplace niche of a specific customer, satellite companies need to be flexible in their approaches to customers. He added that an approach that may work for a government end user of satellite communications might not be the solution for a broadcaster or corporation using satcoms.

Loral Skynet President Patrick Brant agreed with Dankberg, saying the changing nature and profiles of customers dictates that satellite companies be flexible in the solutions they recommend for their clients.

This is especially true, panelist agreed, in the face of stiff regional and international competition from fiber optics and wireless competition.

-David Bross