Competition to international satellite communications services

Rapid construction of transoceanic fiber optic cables and the successful establishment of private satellite companies with inter-regional or global coverage have fundamentally altered the environment in which international telecommunications capacity is provided. This article presents industry data and discusses market developments which document substantial competition that has emerged in international facilities-based telecommunications. Intelsat, historically the largest provider of international telecommunications capacity, has seen its market position decline rapidly for all services and all major geographic market areas worldwide.