In a recent study conducted by Northern Sky Research, analysts said that the top five commercial satellite operators control 63 percent of leased capacity. The study, “Global Assessment of Satellite Demand, 2^nd Edition,” segments the market into seven distinct applications and assesses trends in market demand for C-, Ku- and Ka-band satellite transponder capacity for each of these applications in 12 regional markets. Further, the study assigns market share to the leading satellite operators in each region based on total leased C- and Ku-band capacity.

“Total revenue is the most common, though [we] offer an analysis of market share based on actual leased capacity in order to provide insight into this particular dynamic of the market,” said Patrick French, senior analyst for Northern Sky Research. “This approach places Intelsat as the largest operator in terms of leased capacity as of the end of 2004, followed by Panamsat, SES Global, Eutelsat and New Skies Satellites. SES Global was the largest operator in 2004 based on revenues; however, the company only places third in terms of leased capacity, which quickly demonstrates that SES commands much higher average pricing per leased transponder.”

Separate regional C-, Ku- and Ka-band demand forecasts were generated for each of the major satellite applications investigated in the study. These applications include video distribution, direct to home, video contribution and OUTV, telephony and carrier, satellite broadband, narrowband VSAT and a group of other niche satellite services.

“Because capacity demand drivers can be completely different as you move from one region to the next. Examining the market in this way allows one, for example, to pinpoint where a merged Panamsat and Intelsat truly are complementary in their businesses and where they overlap.”