Polar Maritime Could Be HTS Growth Niche, NSR Says

Maritime demand will drive an expected twelvefold increase in Arctic and Antarctic commercial mobility capacity revenue 2015-25, Northern Sky Research said in a news release Tuesday. NSR said the polar regions are niche markets, but lack of competition and connectivity needs mean they're growth opportunities. It said those with high-throughput satellite capacity "will be the largest winners," with the polar regions representing an estimated $116 million in HTS revenue by 2025. It said low earth orbit HTS -- with its lower capacity costs and coverage better suited for higher latitudes -- could have growing demand through government-backed universal service obligation programs. The major barrier to a big market presence is the lack of significant populations in the regions, NSR said.