Around mid-summer we begin the process of putting together the Satellite Group editorial calendar for the following year. It takes just a few conversations with people throughout the satellite field to come up with more than enough topics that will drive our coverage in the coming year and satellite revenues for years to come.

For 2009, IP and mobile are among the hottest topics being discussed in phone conversations, in press releases and on the floors at various broadcasting and communications shows around the globe.

IP, which has been gaining traction in the satellite world, seems poised to take off as broadcasters look to deliver on their promise of bringing content, anytime, anywhere to various platforms. Initiatives such as the Internet Routing in Space project, a collaboration of the U.S. Department of Defense and several companies intended to demonstrate the viability of conducting military communications through an Internet router in space, promise to help IP-enabled communications gain an ever greater foothold in the market.

At the same time, some sectors of the satellite world are trying to figure out whether IP technology will be part of their business plans or a competitor to satellite players. There likely is no simple answer, as IP technology looks ready to take its place in the hybrid network.

It is that same consumer and business demand for constant connectivity on the ground, in the air and at sea that will continue to drive the mobile satellite services market. The efforts of mobile players to develop and deploy both the delivery networks and the consumer hardware will be closely watched by everyone in the satellite field as well as by terrestrial providers that will be more than happy to take any business that satellite players might let slip away.

Regions of the globe that satellite players will focus on in 2009 include Asia and Latin America. Both regions have been simmering for years and satellite players are ready to capitalize in markets they have been patiently cultivating.

These are just a few of the areas that will drive our coverage in 2009, and it will not be just in the pages of Via Satellite. We put together for our readers multiple content outlets — SatelliteToday.com, e-letters, webinars, podcasts and others — so stay tuned for much more coverage of the hot topics in the satellite arena.