CAMBRIDGE, MA--(Marketwire - April 8, 2010) - NSR's annual review of the broadband satellite market shows that, after a year of uncertainty, the majority of signs indicate the sector made it through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression relatively well. Probably one of the biggest success stories of 2009 was satellite broadband access, where NSR noted that North America set a milestone by becoming the first region to top 1 million subscribers, and Western Europe will likely exceed 100,000 subscribers well before the end of 2010.
Satellite broadband access providers saw that few consumers and businesses were willing to give up their broadband service in difficult times. Plus, the imminent launch of the second generation of high throughput satellites (HTS) like ViaSat-1, KaSat, Jupiter and even Hylas-1 will finally change the core economics of satellite broadband access services. This trend coincides in a very timely fashion with a number of national government initiatives to bring broadband to all residences and business in their respective countries. NSR believes that ensuring 100% broadband coverage in any country will almost always include the use of satellite broadband access services as the most economical way to reach the last few percent of households and businesses. However, the leading challenge that service providers will face in the coming year is changing existing perceptions in government agencies, in addition to consumers, about what satellite broadband access can really do using the second generation of HTS.
Turning to broadband VSAT networking services, NSR did note some regional difficulties in the last year caused by the global economic crisis. Yet for every market that saw problems, there seemed to be another that hardly shrugged in 2009 when it came to expanding broadband VSAT networking services. Leading among them was Latin America, driven by several major government rural connectivity and school network projects. Plus, the Middle East & North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa managed steady growth in 2009 despite economic and well known capacity issues.
Trunking services continue to decline in most markets, including the long-resilient Sub-Saharan African market as it is impacted by the arrival of numerous undersea cables, the spread of terrestrial fiber, and even the potential launch of the O3b constellation. Yet, backhaul services for the cellular and BWA markets continue steady growth and will easily absorb any satellite capacity released by the trunking market for the foreseeable future.
In total, NSR projects that broadband VSAT networking, satellite broadband access, and broadband trunking & backhaul services will generate nearly US$8.8 billion by 2019, which is a 135% increase over 2009. In particular, global satellite broadband access will add the most new revenues, some US$4.1 billion between 2009 and 2019, to become the leading market segment and bypass traditional broadband VSAT networking in revenue terms as of 2013.
About the Report
Broadband Satellite Markets 9th Edition is a new multi-client report now available from NSR. This study includes in-depth analysis of key trends in seven regional markets and provides the satellite industry with timely and pertinent data regarding growth of one-way and two-way broadband VSAT sites, subscribers to satellite broadband access services, trends in the broadband trunking & backhaul markets, projected service revenues, revenues from sales of customer premises equipment (CPE), and satellite capacity demand. Further, the study is completely integrated with NSR's Global Assessment of Satellite Demand, 7th Edition and Wireless Backhaul via Satellite, 3rd Edition studies such that they offer a library of detailed analysis of demand for commercial satellite services for the industry. For additional information on this report, including a full table of contents, list of exhibits and executive summary, please visit www.nsr.com or call NSR at 617-576-5771.
About NSR
NSR is an international market research and consulting firm specializing in satellite and wireless technology and applications. NSR's primary areas of expertise include emerging technology, IP applications, and broadcast services. With extensive expertise in all regions and a number of broadband sectors, NSR is a leading provider of in-depth market insight and analyses.