[Satellite TODAY 07-02-10] International Datacasting Corp. (IDC) signed a deal worth $16 million with The Wananchi Group to develop a DTH broadcasting service in the sub-Saharan region of Africa, IDC announced July 1.
    The contract includes head-end equipment valued at about $3.5 million and will enable a satellite-to-set-top box distribution platform for the delivery of a secure broadcast system to homes throughout the subject region. 
    IDC also will serve as a system integrator and project manager on the deployment of the consumer level set-top box utilizing technology from a number of leading vendors to facilitate the deployment to the home. Phase one of this project, valued at up to $12.5 million, will include the delivery of a combination of STB1010Z and PVR2020Z set-top-boxes up to a total of 100,000 units over the next 18-months.
    “Although this is the largest project of this nature that we have been involved with, this is not new work for us. IDC has been doing systems and service work of this nature as part of its ongoing business activity. This contract allows us to leverage our years of experience and expand it on a larger scale,” IDC President and CEO Frederick Godard said in a statement.