Ericsson has signed a five-year frame agreement with Australian national broadcaster ABC to provide satellite video compression technology that will support a nationwide digital free-to-air (FTA) TV offering, Ericsson announced Sept. 10.
    The ABC will use the compression technology to expand the reach of its high-definition and standard-definition digital TV programming across the country. The Ericsson system will include a range of head-end equipment including the MPEG-4 AVC EN8190 HD and EN8130 SD encoders, reflex statistical multiplexing for channel bit rate allocation and management, and nCompass control and monitoring.
    Deployment of the technology will start in December 2010.
    The service will be targeted to hundreds of thousands of Australians living in rural communities that are currently unable to access the same FTA digital TV services available in urban areas. The Australian government, which is transitioning national broadcasts from analog to digital FTA TV, is funding the new satellite service.
    “According to a recent study, all Australian households watch free-to-air TV and spend almost three hours a day watching it on average. Since this service is central in the life of Australians, we value being part of digitalizing it and ensuring that all Australians can enjoy a rich, high-quality television experience,” Ericsson’s Regional Director of Australia and New Zealand Sam Saba said in a statement.
    Financial details of the contract were not disclosed.