Embracing the Bubble

摘要

Communications and observations satellite operators are buying satellites and procuring new systems with enthusiasm unmatched since the late 1990s. The fixed satellite service industry has been ordering more and larger satellites with greater capacity than demand for transponders would seem to justify. Intelsat alone is adding 901 transponders (41 percent) to its 2,200 transponders between 2015 and 2017. SES will have added 666 transponders (64 percent) to its 1,048 between 2007 and 2017. Eutelsat more than doubled its capacity between 2007 and 2015 and seems to be expanding faster than SES. At the same time, numerous new national satellite systems have procured communication satellites for local services.