The Sir Arthur Clarke Awards are provided to individuals, organizations and firms in recognition of “effective and staunch support and promotion of the satellite industry.”
The 2016 award has now been presented to the Global VSAT Forum GVF) and the Board of Directors and Secretariat of the organization have expressed profound gratitude to the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation for honoring the organization with their “International Achievement Award.”
The 2016 Sir Arthur Clarke Award was provided to the GVF in recognition of “effective and staunch support and promotion of the satellite industry.” The award was presented to the GVF Secretary General, David Hartshorn, by Walda Roseman, Chair of the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation, during a recent gala dinner ceremony at the British Interplanetary Society’s Reinventing Space Conference at the Royal Society, London.
David Hartshorn, Secretary General of GVF, said, “We are truly honored. Sir Arthur C. Clarke’s vision served as the genesis of the satellite communications industry, enabling improvements in health, education and quality of life for people everywhere. So it is fitting that this award has drawn attention to our industry, as reflected by the companies counted among GVF’s international membership. On behalf of the GVF Members, we thank the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation and we recommit ourselves to helping bring vital communications to the furthest reaches of the world.”
Among the GVF achievements recognized by the Foundation were the following:
Training & Certification – Nearly 13,000 individuals in every major region have been enrolled in more than 30 GVF courses developed by SatProf, the GVF’s training content partner, and delivered by the membership to VSAT installers, teleport operators, and professionals in the maritime, humanitarian, broadcasting, disaster response, peace keeping, security, and other stakeholder groups.
Advocacy – Advocating global access to satellite spectrum resources and advocacy for sound regulatory policies has been enabled by GVF’s Regulatory Working Group and Satellite Spectrum Initiative, which includes cooperation with governments, inter-governmental organizations, and allied associations including the Asia Pacific Satellite Communications Council, Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia, EMEA Satellite Operators Association, Interference Reduction Group, Satellite Industry Association, Society of Satellite Professionals International and the World Teleport Association.
Promoting Solutions – GVF co-ordination with industries, governments and end users has resulted in a range of programs designed to improve and expand access to satellite-based solutions, including network integrity through the Cyber-Security Task Force, equipment quality through the MRA Working Group, disaster preparedness through the Disaster Preparedness Initiative, and more. GVF regularly convenes meetings, conferences, summits and workshops where stakeholders promote and enable the effective application of state-of-the-art satellite communications solutions.