^{Mobility Applications Propel Flat Panel Satellite Antenna Market}
 

3 February, 2016

NSR’s Flat Panel Satellite Antenna Analysis is the industry’s first multi-client report on this emerging technology.  Forecasting demand for lighter, low-profile, bandwidth-efficient Flat Panel Antennas (FPAs), NSR’s report sees growth reaching over $710 Million in annual revenues by 2025 from shipped units. Touted as the key element unlocking value across the FSS and HTS value chain, FPAs offer unrivaled opportunities through smaller size, weight, power, and flat form factors. 
 
FPAs are not a new offering to the satellite industry; military customers have tested them for over a decade. However, commercial aeronautical markets are triggering demand for these antennas and expanding use to other vertical segments. NSR’s report forecasts the most prominent markets for FPAs across both mobile - aeronautical, maritime, land-mobile - and fixed segments - satellite broadband and DTH - for both government and commercial uses.
 
“NSR has followed the satellite mobility markets for over a decade, and FPAs have been advertised by many as the ‘Holy Grail’ for antenna manufacturers for quite some time,” stated Claude Rousseau, Research Director at NSR and report co-author.  “We’re not there yet, but the next generation of these antennas look promising to address the previous shortcomings of VSATs and first-generation FPAs, thus opening up new avenues for both FSS and HTS operators,” he added.
 
“FPAs have the potential to drive solid growth for the satcom industry, while addressing issues that traditional VSATs face in terms of efficiency, ease of use and installation,” stated Prateep Basu, Analyst and report co-author.  “But as the industry gradually migrates towards HTS-based services, and leverages the massive onslaught of capacity these will bring, FPAs are expected to help customers find the right match between price and performance.”
 
The FPA market is still in its emerging phase with many different tracks under exploration to attain the right form factor and price point for each vertical.  Investments and partnerships in FPAs will help the market spring forward as fleets and constellations of HTS provide more use cases taking full advantage of these new technologies.