[SatNews] In its Annual General Meeting, the Board of the European Satellite Operators Association (ESOA), re-elected...
...Eric Béranger, CEO of Astrium Services, as Chairman of the Board for a second year period. Cato Halsaa, CEO of Telenor, was also re-elected Vice-Chairman of the Board, and Michel de Rosen, CEO of Eutelsat, was elected as a second Vice-Chairman of the Board.
ESOA represents amongst the largest satellite operators in the world. All European satellite operators are full members of ESOA: Astrium Services, Avanti Communications, Eurasiasat, Eutelsat, HellasSat, Hispasat, Inmarsat, Intelsat, SES, Telenor and Telespazio. In addition, companies or organisations who are not themselves operators but who engage in satellite-related activities are supporting members of the Association: these include Arianespace, Asitel, Astrium Satellites, Atrium Space Insurance, Brit Insurance, Hiscox, Mansat, Marsh, Munich Re, Newtec, O3b, Solaris, Swiss Re, Thales Alenia Space.
EOSA was formed in March 2002 to represent the interests of the industry with key European organisations, including the European Commission, Parliament, Council and the European Space Agency as well as other international organisations. ESOA's goals include ensuring that satellites benefit from the appropriate political, industrial and regulatory environment to fulfil their vital role in the delivery of communications. In the last few years ESOA has been very active, working on regulatory issues, broadband, space policy and a range of other subjects essential to the satellite operators’ businesses.
Current priorities for ESOA are to ensure that there is a level playing field for satellite communications given the huge public investment into terrestrial infrastructure foreseen by the European Commission to achieve its Europe 2020 objectives; to ensure that operators maintain unfettered access to key satellite spectrum and to make sure that satellite communications continue to grow in terms of delivering on key policy objectives such as ensuring 100 percent broadband coverage of the EU territory in support of the Digital Agenda for Europe and emergency communications. Europe’s satellite operators continue to invest and show growth giving testimony to the reliance of so many users on essential satellite services. Many of these services, such as those offered to cable or mobile operators, remain invisible to users and policymakers. ESOA continues to work closely with the European Commission, European Parliament, the European Space Agency and national regulators, to raise awareness of the unfaltering value of ‘satcoms’ for citizens, governments and businesses alike.
Today the Association is the only CEO driven satellite organization to represent the world’s largest operators, as well as all regional European players.