[Via Satellite 01-05-2014] As we begin 2015, the January issue of Via Satellite takes an in-depth look at timely topics such as how the International Telecommunication Union’s Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-14) will influence the satellite industry, why Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) could influence Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) operators, and how new technologies such as High Throughput Satellites (HTS) and Ultra-HD are impacting ground segment players.

The January issue of Via Satellite also includes some notable firsts. Our Generation Next column dials in to the motives, pursuits and dreams of young engineers, and, in an exclusive interview, Inmarsat details the company’s role in searching for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 (MH370). We also outline the contenders for the Technology Company of the Year award.

As a preview, here are the top 10 quotes for this issue:

1. “We had to do more than just connect the dots; we understood the potential of what this meant. We had to brief the search professionals about it — an investigation of this sort is not our natural field,” – Mark Dickinson, vice president of satellite operations, Inmarsat

2. “As other technologies make the case for their spectrum allocations through clear demonstrations of market demand, only the same action from UAS advocates can seek to ensure sufficient access to spectrum,” – Greg Francis, managing director, Access Partnership

3. “We have been taught you can never be comfortable in your position because technology is constantly changing in a matter of hours, not years or decades anymore,” – Nikki Jahn spacecraft systems engineer, Surrey Satellites Technology Limited (SSTL)

4. “Our satellite utilization has gone up year over year for the past five years, even while GCI invests heavily in converting many communities in Western Alaska to terrestrial microwave/fiber platforms,” – Mark Ayers, director of RF satellite engineering, GCI

5. “It is common sense to begin a search from the position of the last confirmed contact. The data from the terminal we had was indicating that the aircraft was flying far longer than originally realized and that its flight path was far removed from the initial search area,” – Mark Dickinson, vice president of satellite operations, Inmarsat

6. “The modem manufacturers have recognized the need for the [Quality of Service] QoS piece for the last few years. The QoS tools are under development but the technology isn’t quite there yet for me to have the confidence to put carrier-to-carrier in place with [Adaptive Coding and Modulation] ACM on a wide scale yet. I aim to adopt it in some capacity this year.” – Mark Ayers, director of RF satellite engineering, GCI

7. “It’s about efficiency teamed with intelligence and having the horsepower to perform these operations at high throughputs.” – Steve Good, VP of marketing, Comtech EF Data

8. “Where Ultra-HD will start to show up in the return channel is in [Information, Surveillance and Reconnaissance] ISR and [Unmanned Aerial Vehicles] UAVs since they deal with very high-res video at a terminal site and they need to get it back to a location,” – Greg Quiggle, VP of product management, iDirect

9. “This is just a communications terminal. It wasn’t designed to provide navigation information. We were trying to use the signaling information from a communication system and turn it into a navigation device,” – Mark Dickinson, vice president of satellite operations, Inmarsat

10. “How can we make satellites easier to use? How can make it a more open technology? … It’s not just about optimization; it’s about making it very easy to use satellite just like it’s easy to access technologies like metro Ethernet or Wi-Fi or 3G and 4G.” – Greg Quiggle, VP of product management, iDirect