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Industry Experts Tackle “Open Skies” at CASBAA Satellite Forum |
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SINGAPORE, July 7, 2006/Satnews Daily/ ― Broadcast and satellite experts from Asia called on governments to lower regulatory barriers or face the prospect of international satellite providers re-directing new capacity away from Asia.
At the 2006 CASBAA Satellite Industry Forum held earlier this week, speakers and delegates said patience has reached a “critical point” over regulatory stalemates in key markets such as China and India.
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) is an industry-based advocacy group dedicated to the promotion of multi-channel television via cable, satellite, broadband and wireless video networks across the Asia Pacific. Founded in 1991 CASBAA represents some 120 Asia-based corporations, which in turn serve more than 3 billion people.
“If global operators feel forced to re-target their payloads because of a lack of potential market access, it will be the end-users in the domestic markets who feel the burden through higher charges,” the more than 200 delegates were told. The warnings came at a time when advances in digital technologies are providing multiple new opportunities for the delivery of satellite services.
Leading the way globally in satellite mobile television is SK Telecom of Korea which now has 550,000 subscribers to its TU Media service. Similar projects are now planned for a number of Asian markets. New DTH services are being launched in Indonesia and India, while IPTV broadband via satellite and HDTV opportunities have added to unprecedented demand for new satellite capacity.
“There are tremendous opportunities in Asia today and for the coming years,” said William Wade, chairman of the CASBAA Satellite Industry Committee and deputy CEO of AsiaSat.
But for this potential to be realized there is a need for more competition, more open market access (“Open Skies”) and a change of mindset by governments, delegates heard.
Even though the regulatory environment is generally stable, the interpretation of the rules tends more and more to favour restricted access, noted Deepak Mathur, vice president Market Development, South Asia at SES Global. “This is a really serious challenge.”
While telecom markets such as cellular services have unleashed widespread competition, all too often Asia Pacific satellite markets remain constrained by the concept of protecting national incumbents or flagship monopolies.
“This should be a thing of the past,” said Phil Spector, executive vice president and General Council at global satellite operator Intelsat. Spector added that the international satellite community is already operating in the newly competitive world: “The days of ‘build and they will come’ have long gone,” he said.
Connie Carnabuci, partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer said “if a harmonized approach to reform is adopted it can deliver positive outcomes.”
Such outcomes include greater economies of scale for operators, local user capacity at cheaper prices and help rural users gain access. “I am not just referring to pay-TV services, but to the other benefits of satellite delivery, including tele-medicine and disaster recovery,” she said.
Delivering the keynote address at the CASBAA Forum, Hao Wei Min, the vice chairman of the China Association of Communication Enterprises, said satellite is an important instrument for China to provide rural connectivity as part of the government’s five-year plan. “This year some 20,000 villages will be connected via satellite and by 2007 we will have 100% connectivity,” he said.
Commenting on the sixth CASBAA Forum, CASBAA Chairman Marcel Fenez, said the “satellite industry, and CASBAA members in particular, are benefiting hugely from the explosion of demand for video content over all kinds of networks.”
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