Communications sector registers remarkable 131 per cent growth at CABSAT '05

"In comparison with 2004, CABSAT2005 reveals a trend emerging with sharp growth in the nett space sold in the communications sector at 1,428 sqm. This figure is up by 131 per cent from last year's 618 sqm.," said DWTC Director General, Helal Saeed Khalfan Al Marri.

"The number of companies has practically doubled (up by 96%) to 51 this year in the communications sector alone and we are confident that the show will prove to be a landmark event for participating companies. Once again emphasising Dubai's role as the regional trading hub, and the DWTC's vital function as the instrument that drives regional growth by providing buyers and sellers with a platform to conduct business," Mr. Almarri observed.

The companies in this sector are predominantly into satellite communications. They will be offering solutions and equipment for VSAT, mobile/remote connectivity, VOIP, broadband, content delivery & broadcast amongst others. A key technological focus by the companies will be DVB-RCS, two-way satellite broadband services for the enterprise market.

Prominent among the companies participating in this sector include: Arabsat, Intelsat, Eutelsat, New Skies, Globecast, Hellas Sat, SES Americom, Europe Star, Russian Satellite Communications Company, Speedcast Streamlink, Horizon Satellite, Network Satellite Technology Trading, Newsat, Atlas Communications, Hellas Sat, Tripoint Global, ViaSat, ND Satcom, ME Connect and Electronia.

Announcing details of the landmark partnership between the DWTC and Global Satellite Forum (GVF), Mr. Almarri said, "Our partnership will result in the first Middle East Satellite Summit aptly titled 'Satellite Communications in the Middle East: TV, Broadband and Everything in Between' which is designed to provide valuable insights into cutting-edge broadcasting and telecommunications applications, together with analysis of the latest regulation and policy trends, appraisal of state-of-the-art technologies, and examination of successful business models, to the attention of the widest possible regional audience.

The Middle East Satellite Summit has been organised in coordination with the region's broadcasting and telecommunications sectors, and takes place on 9th March 2005. Helping to spearhead this latest GVF Middle East initiative is its new correspondent in the region, Mohamed Youssif, Managing Director of the Lebanon-based MESAT Consultancy.

Commenting on what can possibly be done by governments and regulators in the region to allow the VSAT industry to flourish, Mr. Youssif said: "One thing that could be done immediately is to allow open access Internet via satellite to the consumer. There is a huge demand for such a service. Even though many countries allow the establishment of an Internet satellite hub, they do not allow the operator to sell the service locally and we have many examples of such set-ups in the region," he said.

Mr. Youssif added that this contradiction must be corrected. "If government and regulators have to, they could charge a minimal blanket license fee that the service provider can include in the monthly service fees and this would facilitate local economic growth through ease of communication and access to information more effectively."

The satellite summit will include themed sessions touching upon different aspects of the industry including Convergence Versus Competition, Home Front: The Battle for the Living Room, The Convergence of Satellite TV & Broadband in the Middle East, The New IT Portfolio: Satellite-Based Video, Voice and Data, DVB, IP and the "New" Bottom Line and Re-Evaluating the "Value Chain".

It will examine in more detail whether satellite-based solutions will "stand a chance" against the roll-out of DSL and cable modem delivery systems for broadband-type services.

It will also explore the Middle East residential broadband market, and also identify the means by which the satellite sector is successfully responding to the technology-agnostic priorities of the IT sector which is focused only on high-value, high-quality communications.

Confirmed panellists at the summit will include president and CEO level speakers from companies such as Arabsat, Asiasat, BT Satellite Service Initiatives, COMSYS, GVF, Hughes Network Systems, iDirect, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Iran ISP Association, MESAT, ND SatCom, New Skies, PanAmSat, SES Americom, Speedcast, Streamlink Communications, Telenor, Teralight and ViaSat.