Emerging technical and business trends in the commercial satellite communication (“satcom”) market could impact how both commercial and governmental institutions use and invest in space-based communications services in the coming years. Historically, the relatively staid nature of the commercial satcom market has allowed for public and private sector organizations alike to plan for and acquire communications services years in advance. This consistency and development pace has been essential for a majority of the stakeholders involved ranging from regulators, financial institutions, and manufacturers. Looking ahead, commercial satcom operators in geostationary orbit (GSO) and non-geostationary orbit (NGSO), as well as their associated resellers, will likely experience some difficulty maintaining an equivalent level of service stability (and predictability) due to the following market trends:

• New market entrants pursuing development of new low earth orbit (LEO) constellations at an unprecedented scale
• Technical advancements in service delivery mediums
• Increasing competition from terrestrial-based services
• Emerging challenges to historical spectrum rights

These market changes present both challenges and opportunities for leaders in the public and private sector, and this project sought unpack some of these market trends and make several recommendations to market stakeholders.