Inadequate satellite capacity for telecommunications

The explosive worldwide growth in telecommunications has triggered a crisis. Most governments and multinational corporations now transmit their communications via satellite, as do most long-distance telephone lines and most television networks. Demand for new cable television programmes alone is still growing so fast it will outstrip capacity for years to come. Lower satellite transmission costs have triggered dramatic increases in video-conferencing networks. Lower costs for Earth stations are having an even more dramatic effect in the explosive growth of telecommunications.