Peter Hobbs is based in Sydney, Australia, where he is responsible for the global voice relationships and business development within the global satellite and broadcasting markets.

Peter joined Telstra Corporation in 1999 and transferred into its joint venture, REACH, in 2001. He became Director EMEA Voice Business, until moving to Sydney in 2005 to become the General Manager, Global Sales, for the voice business. The REACH transaction in March 2011 saw Peter return to Telstra to take up his current position.

Peter also worked at Telia as Product Manager for voice related services, and at Primus Telecommunications as Business Development Manager into the U.K. SME market, focusing on the IT sector. He holds a Bachelors degree in History, Politics and Philosophy from the University of Southampton (U.K.).

SatMagazine (SM)
What are your responsibilities in your role at Telstra Global?

Peter Hobbs
As Head of the Voice and Satellite business at Telstra Global, I am responsible for the global voice relationships and business development within the global satellite and broadcasting markets.

SM
Please tell us about Telstra Global as a company. When was it founded? How has it grown? What are its major products, services and markets?

Peter Hobbs
The company has maintained a presence in the Asian region for more than 30 years, where it is headquartered today, in Hong Kong. Telstra is a leading global supplier of managed network services and international data, voice and satellite services. The company is a part of the Australian-based, tier 1 telecommunications and media services company, Telstra Corporation Limited, and owns one of the most technologically advanced IP backbone networks in the world. Telstra provides global telecommunications services and solutions and is an expert in bringing the advantages of customer-centric managed network solutions to the business community serving many of the world’s top companies, spanning Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas. We have licenses in Asia, Europe and the U.S., facilitating access to more than 1,400 PoPs (Point-of-Presence) in 230 countries

SM
What is Telstra Global’s position in the global satellite market? What types of solutions do you offer and what types of clients do you service?

Peter Hobbs
Telstra Global provides integrated satellite and terrestrial broadcast solutions out of Hong Kong, Perth and Sydney— we offer customized satellite solutions at competitive rates, supported by expert technical personnel. The services include a range of Satellite Media Services, Satellite Teleport and Collocation Services that include Virtual Network Operator Services, a range of Satellite Data Services for carrier as well as enterprises from Oceania to Africa. These services seamlessly integrate to our domestic and international fiber based IP and MPLS Network.

SM
How has the role of satellite changed in recent years, particularly as it relates to developing markets and economies?

Peter Hobbs
The role of satellite has changed from legacy carrier services to enterprise VSAT (both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint, Star and Mesh Networks) in both domestic and international markets.

Developing markets are seeing a very high growth in Direct-to-Home (DTH) and there is still overall growth in the video distribution market, mobile, POS connectivity and Enterprise connectivity in remote areas. Disaster recovery still relies heavily on various forms of satellite services. Telstra Global adapts its services to the customer’s needs to ensure it provides the right solutions for its wide variety of customers and for global needs in an evolving market.

SM
How is the satellite industry innovating to remain competitive?

Peter Hobbs
The satellite industry has seen more innovation in the last five years than it has in many decades. There is innovation in the space, ground segment and launch industries. Ka-band and High Throughput Satellites (HTS—100 Gbps and beyond) have now become a reality and the trend is catching up in many markets. 

Ka-band is now being applied in maritime and IP backhaul markets through different satellite constellations. The ground segment industry is innovating in every field, from auto pointing to flat panel antenna. Additionally, the price for equipment is coming down, making it all more affordable for the end customers. There is also a big trend to make the equipment easy to install and maintain remotely. Telstra Global has embraced many of these cutting edge technologies in all the services it provides to its customers, including media, data and teleport services, to both enhance the experience and provide high value to its customers.

SM
What does the threat of submarine cable as well as local ISPs/phone companies with innovative wireless solutions and/or 4G mean for the future of satellite?

Peter Hobbs
The satellite services industry is still growing in spite of the massive developments in terrestrial and wireless technologies. In many ways, those developments complement the expansion that is being generated by the Internet and mobile markets.

Satellite services have the unique advantage of adapting to different applications—we note this occurring in every market. Telstra sees great opportunities for media content distribution and contribution across Asia Pacific using hybrid solutions that are comprised of its satellite and international submarine cable networks. Telstra Global’s advanced IP network complements its teleport services for numerous customers, especially in the high bandwidth applications.

For further information, please access the company site at http://telstraglobal.com/