From Via Satellite
The stars fell and competition rose. Leading satellite companies who enjoyed plump margins and steady revenue streams from broadcast and government verticals came crashing back to Earth with their share prices burning up in the atmosphere on the way down. Lower-cost, high-capacity systems had managed to topple the satellite giants and break their market stronghold. Greater competition means better pricing for customers and means there is also more bandwidth — all a good thing. But is it possible to have too much of a good thing? Considering the bandwidth coming online as well as the HTS being flown, is it becoming a manna-falling-from-heaven situation, with an oversupply in the cards? And what does this abundance mean for the bandwidth management market?
Too much of a good thing, it seems, is wonderful, according to market players, who noted that if there is going to be an oversupply at all, it would only be a temporary situation. What is certain, they say, is that requirements for bandwidth management solutions will remain, at the very least, hearty.
“If anything, bandwidth management could be an issue of greater importance. Multiple satellite systems, with more bandwidth and more customers that can be using GEO/MEO, GEO/LEO or even MEO/LEO add more dimensions of complexity to networks,” says Fred Morris, vice president of Comtech EF Data’s satellite operator market vertical.
Bandwidth demand rises as prices become more competitive, which, in turn, will see users demanding more throughput, adds Gerard Johnston, vice president of media solutions at Globecomm. This, he explains, will not only see that any oversupply is short-lived but will also allow service providers to improve services to customers, which is good for business. Additionally, it provides an opportunity for new services and new users to leverage the benefits of satellite connectivity. Continue >