Forecast International: Insatiable Demand for Data and Connectivity Drive Commercial Satellite Market

NEWTOWN, Conn., Sept. 12, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Market intelligence firm Forecast International is projecting that more than 540 satellites will be produced worldwide over the next 10 years.  The company's new study "The Market for Commercial Communications Satellites" reports that, from 2016-2025, the value of production of this market will total an estimated $60.7 billion (in FY16 dollars). The study covers some 68 individual satellite production programs.

Sample products in this aerospace segment include the Airbus Defence and Space OneWeb, the Boeing-702, the Space Systems Loral 1300, and the Thales Alenia Space Iridium NEXT.

"Demand for satellite services is expected to remain strong over the next 10 years," said William Ostrove, the study's author. "Society's demand for data and connectivity is insatiable."

Industries in the fields of fiber optics, cellular phone networks, and communications satellites are growing to meet this demand. As market demand for data-intensive applications such as high-definition video and broadband Internet grows, so too will the need for technologies to form the backbone of global networks.

"Important areas of growth for satellites over the next 10 years include in-air broadband, mobile communications, video transmission, broadband Internet service, government services, and maritime automatic identification services (AIS)," said Ostrove.

Satellites have been a popular solution for mobile broadband applications, such as on aircraft and at sea. Many airlines, including United, Southwest, and JetBlue, plan to install Wi-Fi on their entire fleets of aircraft. While terrestrial connections, popularized by Gogo Inc, were originally used to provide services, high throughput satellites will be necessary to provide the broad coverage and capacity that can offer the speeds that customers demand. Companies like ViaSat and SES are working to capitalize on that market. Ship operators are also looking to increase the availability of broadband Internet to improve ship management and to provide data connections for crew and passengers.

Even as demand grows in the developing world, satellite manufacturing remains dominated by developed countries. Specifically, the U.S. and Western Europe accounted for about 82 percent of satellite production between 2011 and 2015. Russia, India, and China are also important satellite production centers; however, these countries do not compete heavily in the commercial communications market. Instead, their satellite industries are focused more on the government market. Nonetheless, they still have a presence in the communications market. Japan, Israel, and Argentina are also developing satellite manufacturing capabilities.

Based on the study population, the top five commercial communications satellite manufacturers over the next 10 years will be Boeing, Thales Alenia Space, MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates' Space Systems Loral, Airbus Defence and Space, and Lockheed Martin.  In recent years, Boeing and Lockheed Martin have focused more heavily on selling satellites in the commercial market as the government and military market begins to decline.

About Forecast International
Forecast International, Inc. is a leading provider of Market Intelligence and Analysis in the areas of aerospace, defense, power systems and military electronics. The firm also maintains a high posture of situational awareness and geopolitical analysis. Based in Newtown, Conn., USA, Forecast International specializes in long-range industry forecasts and market assessments used by strategic planners, marketing professionals, military organizations, and governments worldwide. Forecast International's resources and extensive base of experience can also be readily adapted and efficiently focused to fulfill a broad spectrum of civil and military consulting and special research requirements.

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