Big Opportunities, Challenges Seen in Satcom Connectivity Bridging Digital Divide

Satellite-provided Wi-Fi hot spots aimed at unconnected populations worldwide likely will generate $7.5 billion annual revenue for the satellite communications by 2027, with the industry increasingly able to target those customers because of better price-per-gigabyte competitiveness and increased focus on distribution channels, Northern Sky Research analyst Lluc Palerm-Serra blogged Tuesday. Hurdles like the income of those populations mean providers need to sometimes offer entry-level data packages with small allowances, he said: They might need to look at free access to some content, plus mobile banking and telemedicine services, to stimulate demand.