
President, Telecom, Media & Finance Assoc.
Member of the Telecommunications Council
Tim Farrar is the President of Telecom, Media and Finance Associates Inc., a consulting company specializing in business planning and financial and technical analysis for satellite services. He has over 13 years of experience in global telecom consulting, specializing in analyzing the impact of technical and product issues on market demand.
Mr. Farrar is experienced in providing consulting services in broadband, mobile and internet services, and analysis of spectrum issues for satellite and terrestrial wireless networks. He is the President of the Mobile Satellite Users Association and has published many research articles on the Mobile Satellite Services sector, and reports on Ancillary Terrestrial Component, and in-flight passenger communications.
Previously, Mr. Farrar was a principal consultant at Analysys Consulting, a European telecom consultancy, working in Europe and the US for operators, equipment manufacturers and investors in the telecom sector. Prior to joining Analysys, he worked as a systems engineer for Smith Systems Engineering in the UK, specifying and developing a range of simulations, databases and data communications software for various government agencies. Mr. Farrar also sits as an independent Director on the Board of Xfone.
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Car manufacturers will deploy satellite radio for many years to come
August 7, 2008
Satellite Radio: Dead Companies Walking | www.lightreading.com
Satellite radio is (and always has been) a car-based service. Auto manufacturers can rely on satellite radio to be there for many years to come (due to the long-lived satellite assets) and so don't risk obsolescence, which has been a big problem for navigation systems. In comparison terrestrial wireless technologies change too rapidly for auto manufacturers to commit to a single standard (viz OnStar's problems) and so probably aren't a realistic substitute except as a user-provided device (like iPods).
Back to the future for DISH and DirecTV
August 6, 2008
DISH Loses Subscribers as Competition Stiffens | www.reuters.com
DISH has not stopped believing that its long term future lies in a merger with DirecTV, and the SATS spinoff was made with this in mind. The WSJ analysis (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121784781012209687.html) indicates that a merged company would market "a potential broadband offering" in urban areas, which presumably means revisiting wireless broadband options such as ATC (Ancillary Terrestrial Component), the 700 MHz D-block and the AWS-3 auction.
Sirius and XM will merge, but how big is the market?
June 20, 2008
Sirius-XM Deal: The Pace Quickens | www.businessweek.com
The long term market potential for satellite radio is probably 30M-40M subs. The subscriber base will come from the car market, though it is possible content may be syndicated to other platforms (e.g. MediaFLO). Growth will be driven by OEMs, since unlike the retail channels they are less likely to move on to newer products.
Hughes wins yet another MSS contract
May 27, 2008
Hughes Selected by Globalstar to Design, Supply and Implement Next Generation Ground Radio Network and User Terminal Chips | www.earthtimes.org
Hughes continues to dominate MSS system development contracts. However, it is unclear how Globalstar will pay for this contract, given the lack of any vendor financing arrangements.
Satellite may be Sexy, but Spectrum is Key
April 30, 2008
Satellite Is Sexy Again | www.businessweek.com
Mobile satellite operators are struggling to find partners to finance an Ancillary Terrestrial Component (ATC) buildout. Doubts are rising about the value of their spectrum, but Harbinger is keeping several players afloat. However, predictions of mergers and bankruptcies are likely to prove correct over the next year.
| Study Group Name | No. Members |
|---|---|
| TMT Council Members in Member Programs | 18316 |
| Telecommunications Council Members in Member Programs | 3779 |
| Wireless Services Experts | 517 |
| Broadband Experts in Member Programs | 488 |
| Telecommunications Services Experts | 440 |
Tim Farrar has not participated in any GLG Live Meetings.