EchoStar and DirecTV, the two competing satellite broadcasters in the United States, have both announced increases in their number of subscribers -- EchoStar added around 325,000 new subscribers to its Dish Network in the first quarter of the 2005, bringing its total number of satellite customers to 11.23 million. DirecTV added over half a million subscribers in the United States in the same period, an increase of over 20 percent on the previous year. At the end of March, DirecTV had a total of 14.45 million customers, a 14 percent increase on a year previously. Chase Carey, president and chief executive of DirecTV, said the company is moving quickly to enhance its service, launching three new satellites to allow it to introduce compelling new programming services. At the end of the year the company will also introduce a Home Media Center.
Alternative Payment Methods (APMs) – comprising digital wallets, instant payments, and QR payment systems – are experiencing explosive growth that's reshaping the global financial services marketplace. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research , the combined global transaction value for APMs is projected to reach $142 trillion by 2030. What's particularly fascinating is the underlying driver behind this trend: a growing desire for financial sovereignty, with nations developing domestic payment ecosystems rather than remaining dependent on international financial networks. Payment Ecosystem Market Development In 2024, approximately 45 percent of the global population used digital wallets – a remarkable adoption rate for a technology that barely existed a decade ago. China leads this transition, with 95 percent of its population using WeChat's payment functionality. WeChat exemplifies the "super app" phenomenon, where payment capabilities are in...