May 15, 2012 – An NSR report has found that the satellite manufacturing and launch markets are facing both softening demand and increasing competition until 2016. However, in the second half of the next decade the manufacturing market will be back on an upward track, while the launch services market will see more years of stagnant growth.

Driven by intense competition and soft demand in the GEO launch services segment, the greater launch services market is expected to exhibit a lowering cost per kilogram to orbit, amplifying the downward demand trend. Revenue levels from 2012 and 2013 are not expected again for at least 5-6 years.

After a few difficult years, the manufacturing market is projected to be back on its feet by 2016 thanks to increasing demand across every application. The manufacturing sector will see consequent design changes with smaller, highly-performing satellites and bigger, more powerful systems that could weigh as much as 12 tons.

To read the complete story, please visit http://advanced-television.com/index.php/2012/05/15/satellite-makers-and-launchers-ready-for-rough-ride/

May 15,2012 – Communications and Information minister Tifatul Sembiring said on Monday he would block music websites providing files for illegal downloads only after receiving a report from the copyright owner.

“For music [illegal downloads], there should be a report before [we] block [the website],” Tifatul said as quoted by Detik.com. “Ahmad Dhani could report which of his songs have been downloaded illegally.”

Tifatul, who is well-known for his enthusiasm when it comes to closing down porn websites, was criticized by several Indonesian artists on Monday, including Ahmad Dani, Mulan Jameela and Syahrini.

To view the complete article, please visit http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/tifatul-wants-reports-from-indonesian-artists-before-blocking-illegal-download-sites/518031

May 14, 2012 – Telstra is expected to shut down its aggressive IPTV ambitions and hand over its 300,000 plus T-Box customers to Foxtel, once the merger of Foxtel and Austar is completed, sources close to the deal have told The Register.

Speculation has been rife that Telstra’s burgeoning IPTV division would be the casualty of the AUD$1.9 billion merger and sources close to both operations claim that under Telstra and Foxtel’s one element of the many-layered agreement between the two includes a long-held understanding that should Telstra would abandon the pay-TV playing field should Foxtel take over its rival Austar. Telstra owns 50% of Foxtel.

Under the ACCC’s conditions for the Foxtel/Austar take over, Foxtel will be prevented from acquiring exclusive IPTV rights for a range of attractive television program and movie content.

To view the complete article, please visit http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/05/14/telstra_may_shed_iptv_division/

May 15, 2012 – Malaysia’s high speed broadband (HSBB) fiber network is well ahead of Asia-Pacific’s other state-led NBN projects in terms of reach and subscriber base, research shows.

Informa Telecoms and Media estimates that the HSBB had 310,000 subscribers and passed 1.2 million premises by the end of April.

This reach is just behind the 1.3 million households scheduled to be passed by the end of the year, and at the current rate of growth the network should be rolled out on time and under budget, Informa said.

To view the complete article, please visit http://www.telecomasia.net/content/malaysias-hsbb-leading-apac-nbn-charge?section=NEWS&utm_source=silverpop&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_content=&utm_campaign=telecomasia

New Delhi (May 13, 2012): Commerce secretary Rahul Khullar has been appointed as the new chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) for a three-year term.

Khullar, a 1975 batch IAS officer of Delhi cadre, will succeed J. S. Sarma, whose tenure ended on Sunday. The tenure of Khullar, who was due to retire in April next year, will be till May, 2015.

“I will be joining from tomorrow,” Khullar told the news agency. Khullar, 59, will head Trai at a time when the regulator is in the line of fire of telecom operators for its recommendations on spectrum auction in which it has proposed steep high base price for radio waves.

To view the complete article, please visit http://www.livemint.com/2012/05/13184928/Rahul-Khullar-to-be-the-new-Tr.html

Names of Rahul Khullar and Indu Liberhan doing rounds as possible successor of Sarma

May 9, 2012 – It had been a point of debate for the last few weeks. Today, the suspense ended when an extension was denied to current Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) chairman, JS Sarma. Till date no Trai chairman has been given an extension. To do that would have meant amending the Trai Act.

Till quite recently it was believed that Sarma would get an extension for anything between two to six months since he had just announced the reserve price for the auction of spectrum. But, the furore over the recommendations on spectrum pricing has apparently been so great that the government decided not to extend his term.

As things stand, Sarma, who took over as chairman on 14 May 2009, will now sign off on Friday 11 May.

To view the complete article, please visit http://www.businessworld.in/businessworld/businessworld/content/No-Extension-Trais-Sarma.html

NEW YORK (May 9, 2012): YOU On Demand, the Chinese PPV and VOD platform led by Shane McMahon, has inked a deal with 3net as it gears up to launch a 3D subscription-video-on-demand service in China this summer.

The distribution deal with 3net will bring titles such as African Wild and Feeding Time to YOU On Demand’s planned SVOD 3D platform. “With the addition of 3net’s content, YOU On Demand is uniquely positioned to bring the 3D viewing experience to our subscribers,” said McMahon, the chairman and CEO of YOU On Demand.

To view the complete article, please visit http://www.worldscreen.com/articles/display/2012-05-09-You-on-Demand-3D-3net-Shane-McMahon-VOD

May 8, 2012 – A new report from Juniper Research suggests that the number of streamed mobile TV users on smartphones will increase to 240 million by 2014. This increase will be driven by a rise in smartphone penetration and a growth in the usage of Internet TV and IPTV services.

The report found that the substantial growth in streamed mobile TV users would arise from a combination of both increased smartphone penetration and, critically, an increasing usage of live and on-demand services both on TVs and PCs. Juniper Research notes that these catch-up and live Internet TV services are already allowing users to become their own programme schedulers – mobile allows consumers to take this content away from the home by ‘placeshifting’ it and adding a new dimension to the TV experience.

To view the complete article, please visit http://advanced-television.com/index.php/2012/05/08/mobile-tv-smartphone-streamers-to-reach-240m/

DALLAS (May 4, 2012): The international research firm Parks Associates reports that 59 percent of U.S. broadband households want access to on-demand YouTube content through their pay-TV service.

The firm finds that more than 80 percent of viewers interested in YouTube go for the free, ad-based offering. This means that few are willing to actually pay to watch YouTube content. However, as YouTube is investing in more original and professional content, creating a more TV-like experience, it is enhancing its value proposition to viewers, advertisers and pay-TV providers.

To view the complete article, please visit http://www.worldscreen.com/articles/display/2012-5-4-parks-associates-youtube

May 3, 2012 – According to an industry source today, China’s State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) has released a unified downloadable conditional access system (DCAS) standard for set-top boxes (STBs) that could be implemented around China. In an interview, Sheng Zhifan of SARFT’s Department of Science and Technology said that the standard had been promoted in larger provinces since March of this year.

To view the complete article, please visit http://www.marbridgeconsulting.com/marbridgedaily/2012-05-03/article/55811/rumor_sarft_introduces_downloadable_cas_standard