Focus: Broadcasting

NHK, Japan’s national broadcaster, partnered with Eutelsat Communications to launch the world’s first 8K network; BS8K. The live broadcast took place on Dec. 2 from the Vatican where images were transmitted to Tokyo via Eutelsat 12 West B satellite with a mobile uplink provided by M-three Satcom. NHK relied on DVB-S2X modulation, in 16APSK, and...

In the middle of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) ambitious Space Month initiative in November, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai sat down for an interview with Via Satellite to discuss a regulatory agenda that he believes will cultivate innovation in space. “Some might say that nine space-related items on the agenda for a monthly meeting...

Dish appointed Suma Nallapati to Senior Vice President (SVP) and Chief Digital Officer (CDO), reporting to Dish Chief Information Officer (CIO) Atilla Tinic. Nallapati currently serves on Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper’s cabinet as Secretary of Technology and State CIO. She will join Dish in mid-January when Colorado Governor-Elect Jared Polis assumes the office. Nallapati will lead Dish’s application delivery and digital strategy implementation. Her technology...

Speedcast has partnered with MYTV Broadcasting (MYTV) to work on a three-year project that aims to switch Malaysia’s Direct to Home (DTH) television network from analog to digital. MYTV, a common integrated infrastructure provider providing free digital terrestrial television in Malaysia, will be responsible for operating the infrastructure and network facilities for Digital Terrestrial TV...

Airbus has been selected by Eutelsat to build two Hotbird next generation telecommunications satellites, which will replace the current spacecraft and enhance capacity at Eutelsat’s position of 13 degrees East. The two satellites aim to deliver improved performances over Europe and the Middle East. These new satellites are aiming to ensure full service continuity over the...

Dish has appointed Atilla Tinic to the role of Senior Vice President (SVP) and Chief Information Officer (CIO). Tinic joins Dish from CenturyLink where he had served as SVP of Information Technology (IT). Tinic also held the role of CIO at Level 3 Communications prior to its 2017 acquisition by CenturyLink. He will report to John...

The Mitsubishi Electric-built Es’hail-2 communications satellite launched successfully from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 3:46 p.m. EST on Nov. 15. The launch was conducted by SpaceX using a Falcon 9 rocket. Following completion of in-orbit tests, the satellite is scheduled to be delivered to Doha-based Qatar Satellite Company Es’hailSat in January 2019....

Dejero has been awarded a Technology and Engineering Emmy Award for “excellence in engineering creativity.” Headquartered in Canada, Dejero blends wired and wireless internet connections from multiple network providers to deliver connectivity for cloud computing, online collaboration, and the secure exchange of video and data. The Emmy Award accolades Dejero for helping broadcasters contribute live content from...

SES revealed that the main telecommunication operator in Serbia has signed a multi-year and multi-transponder contract for service on its Astra satellite to launch Telekom Srbija’s new Direct-to-Home (DTH) platform, which will start broadcasting in all three countries simultaneously mid-December. Viewers in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro will soon have access to new content delivered by...

With the huge amount of attention given to High Throughput Satellites (HTS), Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations, and NewSpace, it is easy to forget that the bread and butter of the satellite industry remains video broadcast, with this accounting for just over half of satellite industry revenues at year end 2017, and over 1800 new...