SAS has competition. For instance, OneWeb recently gained approval from FCC to launch over 700 satellites. Initial launch is in early 2018 with full launch by 2019. Like Elon Musk's SpaceX, the focus is on satellite internet services.
It's high speed internet, not like that of SAS. Other companies like Boeing, ViaSat, and Telesat are looking at it as well. These companies are much larger than SAS. They have access to funds or other revenue streams.
NewSpace Global CEO, Richard Rocket, believes SpaceX, OneWeb, and others are chasing the huge untapped market of the 4 billion people who don't have access to internet. That's the focus of SAS.
It would seem to me that SAS, to be competitive, would need to:
- Focus hard on being a first mover operator
- be well funded to expedite full satellite services
- gain agreements at the country level to ensure high utilization of their services
- ensure the right agreements are in place and operational (like the $1 dollar mobile phone provider
- Built strong functional differentiation (like intelligent software to manage data, which it has).
Expand