• The universe of satellite communications today
• Fundamental advantages of satellite communications
• Satellite operator consolidation and future of the industry
• Satellite coverage and services that are available to Africa today
• Why Africa will continue to benefit from satellite communications

• Serving a country’s needs as a research vehicle that can support:
  stimulation of greater innovation through the creation of high
  value products and services

• Achieving public policy objectives in a big way
• The impacts on social benefits, economic development and
  local government services and administration

• Satellites over Africa 
• Satellite consolidation rationale
• The implications for Africa
• What does the future hold?

 Sponsored by:

• Does Africa need to launch satellites?
• Societal benefits from space technologies
• Space technologies as monitoring tool for service delivery

• Broadening the horizons of African business opportunities
• Liberalisation in the past year and expected developments
• Regulation as it applies to satellite broadcasting and media

• The opportunities and challenges that this technology poses
• Providing services better, faster
• Expanding the market for satellite services

• Handling confidential information over satellites
• Transmitting data from ATMs, point of sale and bank transactions

• Causes of satellite interference
• WiMAX and c-band frequency clashes
• WiMAX as a compliment to satellite services
• The key to success: collaboration

• Overcoming the constraints that limit access to quality
  tertiary learning with satellite
• Using VSAT to enable operation of education centres anywhere

• Ability to deliver equitable healthcare, particularly in rural areas
• Importance of protocols and guidelines

• The goals of one of the largest international science and engineering projects launched
• Producing information that can be used for short and long term environmental planning as well as disaster mitigation

• An overview and explanation of the DVB-S2 technology
• Applications: broadcast, backbones, IP trunking, access networks
• A comparison of the performance of DVB-S and DVB-S2 implementations for a typical IP trunking network

• Lessons learnt from Germany 2006
• Satellite transmission at Monte-casino
• The way forward for the SABC and the industry challenges
• Soccer World Cup 2010 – technical challenges

• Satellite tracking for supply chain efficiency
• Managing the methodology, technology search and selection
• Cell networks versus satellite asset tracking

• The emerging satellite-based disaster recovery and business continuity market
• The need to include satellites as a requirement in the recovery equation
• What are the drivers in satellite telecommunications systems in times of disasters or network outages?

• Satellite bandwidth requirements for TV
• How satellite costs can be reduced?
• Sacrifices made for standard definition TV
• Is sound really an afterthought for satellite TV?

• Applications of satellite technology in advertising and marketing
• Interactive engagement with consumers
• Delivering real-time dynamic spot scheduling and targeted commercials

• Serving new markets in the country
• Content allocation – who will be broadcasting what?
• The impact on new and current players

• Digital television is a major change in the transmission paradigm
• High definition or high density television is a new opportunity for the entire world
• Better transmission technology greatly reduces the amount of bandwidth required
• Digital flexibility also introduces the possibility of multiple channels of standard resolution television in the same bandwidth
• Digital TV may also ‘free-up’ older analog television equipment that may be sold at bargain prices in developing regions

• The growing needs of the African continent and the ability to
  meet the demand
• Assessing the current quality of bandwidth over Africa
• Key steps in improved service delivery for the next 10 years?

• Satellites' potential to foster intra-regional trade and enhance Africa's global competitiveness
• The establishment of ICT skills in the African population
• The role of satellites in the six ICT projects presented to the 6th meeting of the NEPAD Heads of State Implementation Committee

• The use of VSATs to provide backhaul links between remote mobile base stations and the PSTN
• Satellites carrying large amounts of long-distance or international traffic
• Satellites as the preferred trunking solution of mobile carriers

• The importance of network reliability and availability
• The economics of using VSAT for redundancy
• How VSAT complements terrestrial networks

• Why take the VSAT technology route?
• The trials and tribulations of implementing VSAT technology in the African region
• The ultimate success of using VSAT technology

• The features offered to mining users
• Considerations when implementing and integrating a VSAT system
• The benefits of a complete A-Z implementation

• The communication challenge – the business need to stay connected
• VSAT – the implementation issues
• A learning curve and the opportunities that exist

• Handling confidential information over satellites
• Transmitting data from ATMs, point of sale and bank transactions