Satellite Industry Forum optimistic about growth and future opportunities

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Image credit | scaliger/bigstockphoto.com

The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) held its annual Satellite Industry Forum (SIF) as a virtual conference, from 24 – 25 September, which allowed for global participation with delegates from around the world in attendance.

Despite unprecedented challenges and disruption for the industry in recent years, more video is being created, distributed and consumed than ever before, and satellite continues to play an indispensable role in delivering that video.

“Satellite’s strength in multicasting across wide areas cannot be matched by any other technology,” said Louis Boswell, AVIA CEO.

“The satellite industry is playing a key role in fighting the outbreak with a scale and reach in helping to inform, entertain and keep all connected,” added Yew Weng Soo VP, Sales & Market Development, SES Video and Chairman of the Satellite Industry Committee. “Video and particularly satellite, will not just bounce back but use this time to transform itself to change consumer behaviour and thrive in the post Covid world.”

At the opening Asia Pacific Thought Leaders’ Panel, Terry Bleakley, Regional VP, Asia Pacific, Intelsat, said that the resilience of Intelsat’s business was having a diversified portfolio. Through crossing many verticals across the markets they served, a downturn in one business saw an upturn in another. Bleakley also added how important satellite has been for this pandemic, especially in remote environments and how essential satellite was for remote connectivity, creating further opportunity for consolidation and vertical integration.

Another opportunity that the satellite industry also identified was the role female leadership could play in fostering greater change for the sector.

Anita Bernie, Strategic Business Manager, KISPE Space said that “diversity is a smart business decision. Diversity not just to hit quotas or to tick a box but to bring alternative thoughts and ideas.” Bernie also noted that for an organisation to do better in the world of today, and to be better prepared for the future and the pace of rapid change, it needed a team that is representative of the world it lives in and the customers that it reaches and serves.

During the closing panel, the question of whether satellite should be an integrated component of the telecom value chain and ecosystem. Roger Tong, CEO, AsiaSat, said that “satellite should not be integrated but we can integrate our services. There are multiple fronts that we can compete and succeed in [and] serve the customers with the best that we can do.”

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