Satellite Communication Ground Segment Industry Survey

Status

Completed
Status date

2014-01-15
Activity Code

1A.069

Objectives

There are three main objectives:

To gain an understanding of the satellite communication ground segment industry and its evolution
To identify the European and Canadian players who could potentially participate in ARTES 3-4 and ARTES 5 programmes
To examine the competiveness of these players and make recommendations for how it could be improved through the ARTES R&D programmes

Challenges

The satellite communication ground segment industry is diverse yet the participants have a number of things in common which enable them to benefit from the ARTES programme. Identifying all the different activities and players is expected to be the main challenge since it is an industry which is not well represented as a single body

Benefits

It is expected that the results of the survey will provide ESA with a number of measures to enable the competiveness of European and Canadian industry in world markets to be strengthened and improved

Features

The study is being carried out with the assistance of a number of organisations whose members are involved in the satellite communication ground segment industry including the Global VSAT Forum, World Teleport Association and Mobile Satellite Users Association

Plan

There are four main activities which run in sequence:

Satellite Communication Ground Segment Industry Characterisation.
Preparation of a directory of the European and Canadian ground segment industry.
Examination of the competitiveness of the European and Canadian ground segment industry

Preparation of recommendations for improving the competitiveness of European and Canadian ground segment industry within the scope of the ARTES programme

Current status

All work on the survey has now been completed.

The survey has found that the satcom ground segment industry covers a broad spread of activities with twelve vertical market segments having been identified. European and Canadian companies are generally well represented in the vertical markets with 352 companies found to have some involvement. A number of these companies are in a competitive position which is as good as or better than that of the best companies in the rest of the world. The greatest number of opportunities at present are Ka-band related. Fragmentation remains an issue but in many markets it is not an issue specific to Europe or Canada. Horizontal expansion into other markets such as terrestrial communication appears to be the preferred growth path rather than vertical integration within satcom ground segment markets.