Broadcast Modulator Feature Article
January 04, 2010
Broadcast Modulator Report: A Year in Review (Part Two)
By Marisa Torrieri, TMCnet Editor
Technological advances aside, 2009 was as tough a year for satellite technology providers as anyone else.
But for companies like Newtec (News - Alert), whose footprint expanded over Latin America, Africa and other burgeoning markets, it was a foreshadowing of things to come.
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“2010 is set to be another exciting year for Newtec as the number of TV channels, satellite broadband consumers and the IP traffic worldwide are expected to see continued growth,” Serge Van Herck, CEO of Newtec, told TMCnet. “Broadcasters look forward to drive increasing end-to-end efficiency across their infrastructure. As the deadline for switchover from analog approaches, digital terrestrial TV and mobile TV are expected to see further growth as well.”
Here are a few more highlights, as told to TMCnet by Newtec CEO Serge Van Herck.
Newtec’s success in the IP World
Building on our success in the IP space, Newtec has seen significant success in enabling customers to leverage their IP trunking and IP backbone applications with the greater efficiency of the Elevation product line. All over the globe, Newtec’s Elevation product deployments are emerging as the perfect solution for customers who want to increase data throughput, efficiently manage quality of service and reduce operational expenses.
2009 has been a bumper year for new satellite-based services in the MENA region. Horizon Satellite Services in the UAE for instance successfully upgraded its link facilities with Newtec’s redundant FlexACM solution connecting several sites in the Middle East with an uplink in Europe. The upgrade project allowed Horizon to eliminate issues of interference from adjacent carrier inter-modulation and antenna-tracking errors at receive sites on the outer edge of its footprint.
In the broadcasting world, independent Iraqi satellite TV station Alsumaria TV invested in Newtec’s IP over satellite solution as part of its migration towards tapeless news production. Increased productivity, speeded-up delivery of news content and reduced costs are the return on investment for Alsumaria TV.
In Africa, a leading satellite communications company providing carrier and business network solutions is using our IP Elevation equipment with FlexACM in multiple IP trunking networks to increase the bandwidth efficiency of its intercontinental data links between Europe and Africa.
Intelsat (News - Alert), one of the world’s leading providers of global fixed satellite services, uses Newtec’s Elevation product line to provide IP solutions at very high speeds, in fully redundant environments.
In Latin America, leading telecoms solution provider Alcatel-Lucent (News - Alert) selected Newtec’s high-speed IP modems and active L-band combiners to provide high-speed IP backhaul over satellite for one of Brazil’s major telecom operators.
Newtec’s equipment is also being used in difficult and demanding locations: live satellite broadcasting from a ship close to 90° North, with wind speeds of up to 250 km/hr and freezing temperatures of -40°C, requires extremely reliable equipment. In the same harsh conditions in Antarctica, Newtec’s Elevation equipment is being used to transmit data to customers in the United States and Norway.
Newtec Drives IP broadband Acceleration
A U.S.-based VSAT manufacturer successfully integrated Newtec’s TelliNet TCP acceleration software into their VSAT terminals. The integration further optimizes communication via satellite.
Meanwhile, Thuraya (News - Alert) Telecommunication in the United Arab Emirates selected Newtec’s TelliNet solution as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance the performance of its ThurayaIP broadband offering. TelliNet boosts the performance of ThurayaIP and improves the level of customer satisfaction when web surfing, downloading files, receiving streaming services or using other Internet services. Through this enhancement, customers of ThurayaIP will experience much faster throughput in StandardIP and StreamingIP mode while using the unique ThurayaIP broadband terminal.
Broadcasters: Are You Ready for IP?
Until now, broadcasters have focused on implementing tapeless storage and IP connectivity between IT platforms, universal technologies adopted by all broadcasters. However, the satellite part of the broadcast infrastructure seemed to be evolving less rapidly than the rest of the TV production and distribution environment.
To facilitate the migration towards IP, Newtec developed DualFlow, a unique and innovative option available on all Azimuth broadcast products. This option provides broadcasters and network providers with ways to address classical real-time satellite transmission requirements. It also provides support for the IP-based workflows of today and tomorrow for DSNG, contribution and distribution services.
GlobeCast Australia Upgrades with Newtec DVB-S2
Newtec won a contract from GlobeCast Australia to design and deliver Newtec’s AZ110 Modulators, and AZ750 Combining Upconverters to create a flexible and cost effective uplink system. The project enables GlobeCast Australia’s Sydney broadcast operations to offer new services to clients that are uplinking and downlinking HD program content. The installation is part of a massive upgrade of the GlobeCast Australia master control and teleport, to cope with current and future demand. As a result, GlobeCast Australia’s MC has doubled in capacity.
Newtec Powers Middle East’s first commercial mobile TV
Mobision launched the Middle East’s first commercial mobile TV service delivering over 20 of the region’s most popular TV channels to subscribers in four cities in Iraq. With the help of Newtec’s Horizon HZ420 equipment, signals broadcast via satellite are converted into DVB-H which is then transmitted using medium and high power terrestrial transmitters.
Looking towards 2010
Newtec has been very focused on delivering products enabling higher efficiency to our customers, allowing them to boost bandwidth efficiency resulting in significantly lower cost satellite capacity. Software upgrades such as the 4CPM coding scheme and FlexACM technology can deliver significant cost reductions and bandwidth increases.
We are making it easier than ever for customers to make the transition to IP in contribution, distribution and DSNG applications, thanks to Newtec’s broadcasting equipment with IP integration designed to specifically meet the needs of broadcasters.
The financial pressures of the current economic climate mean that customers are ever more stringent about ROI, and Newtec’s success and continued growth during this past year is testament to our commitment to meeting our customers’ demands.
2010 is set to be another exciting year for Newtec as the number of TV channels, satellite broadband consumers and the IP traffic worldwide are expected to see continued growth. Broadcasters look forward to drive increasing end-to-end efficiency across their infrastructure. As the deadline for switchover from analogue approaches, digital terrestrial TV and Mobile TV are expected to see further growth as well.
Also, the revolution that FlexACM is bringing to the IP world, and the increasing need of countries to close the digital divide, combined with the availability of Ka-band satellites, will see further potential for double digit growth for the coming year. I am therefore convinced that 2010 will be another year of exciting growth for Newtec.
This is the second of a two-part column, written by Newtec’s CEO, focused on the highlights of 2009. For more information on Newtec’s advances in 2009, check out the first part of the column.
Marisa Torrieri is a TMCnet Web editor, covering IP hardware and mobility, including IP phones, smartphones, fixed-mobile convergence and satellite technology. She also compiles and regularly contributes to TMCnet's gadgets and satellite e-Newsletters. To read more of Marisa's articles, please visit her columnist page.
Edited by Marisa Torrieri
