NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC
National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA
World Technology Evaluation Center (WTEC), Loyola College, Baltimore, MD
November 25, 1997
BRIEFING SET ON FINDINGS OF NASA/NSF STUDY ON INTERNATIONAL
SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY
Findings from a joint NASA/National Science Foundation
(NSF) year-long study of global trends in satellite communications
systems and technology and system development will be the subject
of a media briefing at 3:30 p.m. EST, Tuesday, Dec. 2, in the Club
Room of the Holiday Inn Westpark Hotel, 1900 N. Ft. Myer Dr.,
Rosslyn, VA.
The findings, characterized as the most complete and
current report on the status of satellite communications in the
world today, will be presented by a panel of aerospace and
communications experts led by co-chairman Joseph Pelton, Dean of
the International Space University and Professor of
Telecommunications, University of Colorado at Boulder, and Alfred
MacRae, formerly of AT&T Bell Labs.
The major findings of the study are:
- The U.S. can continue to lead the world in this field,
if industry, government and academe cooperate in the most
productive ways.
- One specific opportunity for U.S. firms is satellite
delivery of high bandwidth services directly to consumers
worldwide, but only if these services are offered before
comparable terrestrial services become commonplace.
- Conversely, unless the industry carefully plans some of
its more specialized offerings, there may be a costly shakeout due
to overcapacity.
The NASA/NSF study is a follow-up to update a similar study
conducted in 1992, which assessed the global satellite
communications industry including research, development, policies,
and markets at most of the major satellite communications
institutions worldwide. Since 1992 the $25 billion satellite
communications industry has undergone dramatic changes in
technology, services and applications, standards, financial and
management arrangements, and policy and regulatory regimes, and
experts expect the industry to grow to at least $75 billion by 2005.
Information about the study and workshop, including a
complete list of panel members, is also on the Internet at the
following URL:
http://itri.loyola.edu/satcom2/
Both the 1992 and 1997 studies were managed by WTEC at
Loyola College in Baltimore.
The panel will discuss their conclusions in detail at a
one-day workshop on Dec. 3 at the Westpark Hotel. The workshop is
open to the media and public with advance registration by calling
Geoff Holdridge of the World Technology Evaluation Center (WTEC)
at 410/617-2991.
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