19 February 2021
Martin Jarrold, chief of international programme development, GVF
With the conclusion on 3 December of the GVF-Satellite Evolution 2020 Webinar Series we are now planning the 2021 schedule. Whilst 2021 may at some point see a return to the joys of the visa applications, airport security queues, busy departure lounges, and boarding delays associated with international travel, I doubt a full return to the world as it was pre-pandemic: busy schedules of international travel to attend exhibitions, contribute to meetings, and address conferences.
Consequent on the experience of lockdown, social distancing and WFH, and the realities of restrictions on moving around the globe introduced by governments responding to the pandemic, has come the realisation of effective alternatives to travel that employ cyberspace to convey ideas and enable exchanges of knowledge. This will mean a permanently different world when it comes to the means and platforms we use to collaborate and cooperate, debate and discuss, negotiate and forge deals.
Producing GVF’s Webinar Series has been an interesting experience and a rewardingly successful response to this different world. With 15 events in the main 2020 webinar series, and a further number produced for embedding within partner online events, it was a notable year. A notable end to the year too, with the finale exploring NewSpace, with a panel of speakers moderated by one of the big names in space and satellite, the Founding President of the Society of Satellite Professionals International, Dean Emeritus at the International Space University, and member of the Executive Board of the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety – Dr Joseph N. Pelton, https://gvf.org/webinar/building-newspace-enterprise-application-in-a-rapid-growth-ecosystem/.
It is important to note that the various thematic dialogues we created and produced through 2020 can still be experienced through the webinar archive on the GVF’s YouTube channel and accessed through the GVF website at https://gvf.org/webinars/. Another example of a key, future-looking dialogue took place on 24 September, bringing the United Nations Environment Programme Digital Transformation Task Force into discussion about Global Transitions: Digital Economy, Digital Infrastructure, Connected Communities, Digital Planet, https://gvf.org/webinar/global-transitions-digital-economy-digital-infrastructure-connected-communities-digital-planet/.
Over 8,000 individuals from at least 134 countries have, so far, watched the webinars, with approximately half this figure watching “live” and half viewing the recordings. Thematically wide-ranging, here is a selective list of some of our 2020 webinar sessions. If you did not have the chance to view the webinars “live”, you can avoid missing out by using the specific links provided. Alternatively, go to the webinars home page at https://gvf.org/webinars/. Here you will also see details of our first webinar for 2021,Beyond 2020: New Applications, New Growth, taking place on 28 January.
• Airborne Again? The Future Post-Pandemic Mobility Horizon
Global Eagle; Intelsat; PJT Partners; and KenCast. Moderated by Access Partnership.
https://gvf.org/webinar/airborne-again-the-future-post-pandemic-mobility-horizon/
• Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Response: The Evolving Role of Satellites in Disaster Response
Eutelsat; Inmarsat; Thuraya; and Knight Sky. Moderated by GVF.
https://gvf.org/webinar/humanitarian-assistance-disaster-response-the-evolving-role-of-satellites-in-disaster-response/
• The Regional Satellite Operators’ Voice
ABS; Arabsat; and Yahsat. Moderated by Euroconsult.
https://gvf.org/webinar/the-regional-satellite-operators-voice/
• A Regional Perspective on C-Band – The Next Battleground?
Intelsat; TV Globo; Sentech; and Hispasat. Moderated by ANATEL.
https://gvf.org/webinar/a-regional-perspective-on-c-band-the-next-battleground/
• GEO/MEO/LEO – Satellite in the Finance Markets
Quilty Analytics; Melody Investment Advisors LP; and Seraphim Space Fund. Moderated by Milbank.
https://gvf.org/webinar/geo-meo-leo-satellite-in-the-finance-markets/
• Serving Underserved Communities
Kacific Broadband Satellites; Gilat Satellite Networks; ViaSat; and SES. Moderated by GVF.
https://gvf.org/webinar/serving-underserved-communities/
• Ground Segment: Transformational Antennas II – Will Terminals Realize the Promised LEO Connectivity Revolution?
OneWeb; Isotropic Systems; ThinKom; SatProf/GVF Training; and Kratos. Moderated by Euroconsult.
https://gvf.org/webinar/ground-segment-transformational-antennas-ii-will-terminals-realise-the-promised-leo-connectivity-revolution/
• Ground Segment: Transformational Antennas I – End of the Parabolic Paradigm?
AvL Technologies; Kymeta; Integrasys; and Alcan Systems. Moderated by COMSYS
https://gvf.org/webinar/ground-segment-transformational-antennas-i-end-of-the-parabolic-paradigm/
• 5G & Satellite: Driving Forward the ‘Network of Networks’
Norsat; Liquid Telecom; SpaceBridge. Moderated by European Space Agency.
https://gvf.org/webinar/5g-satellite-driving-forward-the-network-of-networks/
• The Satellite Integral Factor II: Will Working from Home Render the Cloud a Different Animal?
Hughes; SES Networks; and ST Engineering iDirect. Moderated by GVF.
https://gvf.org/webinar/the-satellite-integral-factor-ii-will-working-from-home-render-the-cloud-a-different-animal/
• Space Segment Disruptive Evolution: GEO, MEO & LEO – Does a Global Crisis Make a Difference?
SES; Hughes; and Telesat. Moderated by Satellite Evolution Group.
https://gvf.org/webinar/space-segment-disruptive-evolution-geo-meo-leo-does-a-global-crisis-make-a-difference/
Don’t forget to periodically visit the GVF webinars home page to check the 2021 online event schedule and make the most of the opportunity to join in with the industry’s important dialogues. You don’t have to listen only, because just as though you were attending a physical and in-person event you can put questions to our speakers, and what’s more the registration is free-of-charge. See you online!
