Satellite data revenues ‘to surpass video’ by 2022

Wholesale revenue for data applications will surpass video revenues for satellite operators globally by 2022, according to data from Euroconsult.

While market erosion since 2014 was mostly due to oversupply in some regions and the impact of high throughput satellites, the market will soon be overtaken in importance by data, according to the research outfit. Euroconsult beleives that by 2029 data market revenues are expected to represent nearly 80% of the satellite connectivity market value.

Euroconsult’s latest report, Satellite Connectivity and Video Market, said that the COVID-19 pandemic had deeply impacted maritime and in-flight connectivity demand, and to a lesser extent other segments such as enterprise networks for satellite capacity.

Due to COVID-19’s impact on bandwidth consumption by cruise ships, commercial airlines, and the energy sector, return to growth previously forecast to begin in 2020 is now unlikely until 2022, the report said.

According to Euroconsult’s forecast, the satellite and connectivity market is now expected to surpass its historic revenue peak by 2024 and will become an $18.7 billion market by 2029.

Data demand in South Asia and particularly in India is likely to fuel demand for satellite capacity, according to another report, Global Satellite Capacity Supply and Demand, from NSR.

The research organisation predicts a that the satellite connectivity market in India and South Asia will deliver cumulative revenues of over US$12 billion over the next 10 years, with a 53% compound annual growth rate for GEO-HTS satellites towards data segments.

NSR says that the tightly regulated Indian market presents challenges to growth, particularly for Ku-band applications.