[Satellite TODAY 04-12-11] Arqiva will launch a DVB-S2, MPEG-4 shared multiplex satellite platform from its Los Angeles teleport, enabling broadcasters and cable programmers access to 100 percent of U.S. cable headends, the company announced April 11.
     The platform will be available via SES World Skies’ AMC-10 satellite located at 135 degrees West and will be powered by Cisco’s latest-generation MPEG-4 encoding technology. The service can reach 100 million U.S. homes and will go live in the third quarter.
     “With our communications infrastructure, seamless architecture and investment in technology, we can deliver the coveted North American domestic cable market. Not only will U.S. networks have potential blanket cable access to all 50 states in HD and 3-D, U.K., European, Middle Eastern and Asian networks can effectively deliver their content to the same audience, vastly expanding their reach,” Jon Kirchner, executive vice president and general manager, Arqiva Broadcast & Media, said in a statement.