The telecom industry is experiencing a major shift from
serving traditional Fixed Land Towers in rural areas of developing markets to
Mobility Platforms such as cruise ships, container vessels and commercial
airlines, according to NSR.

“The global satellite backhaul market is expected to
grow to $1.9 billion in 2020, more than three-fold from today’s $640 million
revenue base,” said Jose Del Rosario, Senior Analyst for NSR.

“Although terrestrial technologies have penetrated
more than 75 percent of the globe’s wireless subscribers, satellite-based
backhaul continues to see a strong market. Mobility Platforms are not only
expected to pick up any slack, but drive future opportunities in areas where a
need for connections on-the-move is desirable,” Rosario added.

While deployments driven by CAPEX and OPEX considerations
have led to a dwindling niche for satellite solutions, new programs such as
High Throughput Satellites (HTS) have entered the fray, and the upcoming
entrance of O3b is a potential game changer. These new programs will lead to a
re-examination of the Fixed Land Tower market, potentially creating more
dynamic growth overall.

NSR’s Wireless Backhaul via Satellite, 5th Edition,
forecasts growth from less than 30,000 units in-service in 2010 to close to
85,000 by the end of 2020. Accounting for only 20 percent of the installed base
in 2010, Mobility Platforms are expected to represent over 55 percent of all
installations by 2020.

The largest growth opportunities lie in the maritime
market. The cruise industry dominates the segment, both in terms of installed
units and bandwidth needs. In addition to standard voice, the cruise industry
also leads in high rate data and video applications.

Although Mobility Platforms are likely to grow more
robustly, opportunities in Fixed Land Towers should continue, with the most
cost-effective programs winning out.

By Telecomlead.com Team
[email protected]