McLEAN, Va.—Intelsat, operator of one of the world’s largest integrated satellite and terrestrial networks, became one of the first foreign satellite operators to receive approval from the Indian government to provide extensive satellite coverage directly to India’s broadcast media companies, a significant regulatory achievement the company says puts Intelsat on an accelerated path to offering new services and further India investment.

The company has secured authorization for four geostationary (GEO) satellites providing C-band coverage over India: the IS-17, IS-20, IS-36 and IS-39 satellites. The approved satellite fleet will primarily serve India’s dynamic broadcast media industry, enabling enhanced content delivery and distribution capabilities across the subcontinent and from India to other regions of the world.

“This approval represents a significant step forward in Intelsat’s contribution to India’s space commerce sector, a source of great national pride,” Gaurav Kharod, regional vice president for Asia Pacific at Intelsat, said. “Our extensive satellite network with four satellites covering the region will provide Indian broadcasters with reliable, high-quality connectivity solutions that meet their evolving needs. This authorization enables us to better serve our customers and contribute to India’s growing media landscape.”

Following the authorization from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), Intelsat won new business from three of India’s largest media companies. This new and expanded service will see Intelsat deliver its full portfolio of media content to viewers in India.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Association of Broadcasters has filed a letter with the FCC expressing concerns about the impact the proposed merger between SES and Intelsat could have on broadcasters.

In the letter, the NAB said it is not taking an official position on the merger, but stressed that it would produce a new company that “would collectively operate nearly all the C-band satellites providing services domestically within the United States.”

It also expressed worries that such a level of concentration would impact both the cost and quality of the C-band satellite services so important to TV and radio broadcasters.

In an Oct. 15, filing, NAB chief legal officer Rick Kaplan wrote, “NAB joins [NCTA–The Internet & Television Association] in urging the Commission to carefully consider the impact that the proposed transaction would have on the quality and cost of C-band satellite services.”

“The C-band is used to deliver network programming to over 1000 broadcast stations affiliated with national networks, as well as for distribution of sports and syndicated programming to commercial radio stations listened to by tens of millions of Americans,” Kaplan wrote. “National Public Radio also relies on the C-band ‘for reliable distribution of programming to the 475 public-radio earth stations that together broadcast public radio programming to 42 million Americans each week.’ As NCTA noted in its comments in this docket, the C-band remains critical for video distribution today. Terrestrial alternatives, such as fiber and wireless services, are not necessarily available at remote broadcaster facilities and may be cost-prohibitive where they are available. Other satellite bands, such as Ka- and Ku-band, suffer from rain fade and do not deliver the reliable service that broadcasters and their viewers and listeners demand.

“If the proposed transaction were consummated, the combined SES and Intelsat collectively would control over 96 percent of the C-band spectrum in the United States,” Kaplan concluded. “While we have no view on how the parties might behave post-merger, we urge the Commission to consider the implications of one entity controlling virtually all C-band spectrum.”

European telecom satellite company SES announced today that it is acquiring rival Intelsat for $3.1 billion. The deal, unanimously approved by both companies’ boards, is expected to be finalized in the second half of 2025, and will be financed by a combination of cash and debt.

The two rivals have been in merger talks in the past—as recently as 2023—but increasing competition from the likes of Elon Musk’s SpaceLink and Amazon’s efforts to launch its own fleet of satellites has upped the ante.  Intelsat’s emergence from bankruptcy in 2022 also improved the chance of a merger this time around, according to David Wajsgras, CEO of Intelsat.

“Over the past two years, the Intelsat team has executed a remarkable strategic reset,” Wajsgras said. “We have reversed a 10-year negative trend to return to growth, established a new and game-changing technology roadmap, and focused on productivity and execution to deliver competitive capabilities. The team today is providing our customers with network performance at five 9s and is more dedicated than ever to customer engagement and delivering on our commitments. 

SES chief executive Adel Al-Saleh also hailed the announcement, adding, "in a fast-moving and competitive satellite communication industry, this transaction expands our multi-orbit space network, spectrum portfolio, ground infrastructure around the world, go-to-market capabilities, managed service solutions, and financial profile,"

Based in Luxembourg, SES’s media reach in the EMEA region is vast, with its current fleet of 70 birds carrying more than 8,000 TV channels to more than 369 million homes globally—more than 3,000 of those in HD or UHD. Intelsat carries about 6,500 TV and radio channels reaching approximately 2 billion worldwide.

The combined company will have a fleet of more than 100 Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) and 26 Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites, giving it enhanced coverage, greater network resiliency, complementary spectrum (C-, Ku-, Ka-, Military Ka-, X-band, and Ultra High Frequency) rights, and improved service delivery, SES said. By end-2026, eight new GEO (including 6 software-defined) satellites and 7 new MEO (O3b mPOWER) satellites are expected to be launched adding further redundancy and additional growth capacity. 

For its media customers, SES says the combined company will add more offerings worldwide for  pay-TV operators, free-to-air/free-to-view platforms, public and private broadcasters, and sports & events, with improved redundancy features “via a competitive range of broadcast solutions, plus additional value-added services.”

Based on the 2024 financial outlook, the combined company is expected to generate approximately $4 billion in annual revenue (after adjusting for intercompany eliminations) and is expected to deliver low- to mid-single digit average annual growth over the medium-term the companies said, adding that they expect the two companies to invest combined CapEx of just over $1 billion in 2024.

MCLEAN, Va.—Intelsat has announced a new content distribution system that will use the internet to transport quality video content around the globe. 

IntelsatOne IP is designed as a global interconnected network powered by a software platform eliminating the need for hardware which makes for faster deployment, the company said. 

The IntelsatOne IP service also builds on Intelsat’s decades of satellite and terrestrial experience to deliver reliability, customer service, global reach, content backup capabilities and scalability, the company said. 

“IntelsatOne IP increases the reach and flexibility of the Intelsat Global Media Network and complements our existing global satellite and fiber footprint,” said Pascale Fromont, vice president of Media at Intelsat. “IntelsatOne IP offers more connectivity options to broadcasters of all sizes looking for more affordable and reliable ways to transport content as well as for those seeking new ways to increase viewership.”

Using Intelsat’s hybrid terrestrial and satellite infrastructure broadcasters are able to access the full Intelsat Global Media Network, bringing connectivity that traditional IP providers are unable to provide.

The IntelsatOne IP product is available now for customers to begin testing use cases and is scheduled by become commercially available as an operational service at a later date, the company said. 

MCLEAN, Va.—Satellite operator Intelsat recently started delivering Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) educational, music and arts content across the continental United States, as part of an exclusive satellite distribution agreement, the company announced last week at the NAB Show.

Starting earlier this year, Intelsat’s Galaxy 16 Ku-band satellite started delivering iconic PBS content to 156 broadcast affiliates reaching an audience of nearly 50 million primetime viewers.

“As America’s largest public media enterprise, PBS trusts Intelsat to reliably deliver on their crucial mission of providing high-quality programming to their member stations across the continental United States,” said Pascale Fromont, Vice President and General Manager of Media for Intelsat. “With the addition of PBS to the Intelsat family, all major broadcasters in the U.S. are utilizing the Intelsat fleet for content delivery.”

Located at 99W, the performance and reach of Galaxy 16 into North America were key factors in PBS’s selection of Intelsat to meet its distribution needs. Intelsat says its Galaxy fleet is the most comprehensive in North America, serving 123 million TV households.

In addition to satellite, PBS also distributes programming via fiber to some of its member stations, particularly those in urban areas. 

Intelsat is working with Amazon Web Services on a connectivity solution that provides media companies with secure access between the IntelsatOne Media Network and AWS.

Cloud Connect Media is designed to provide content providers with a private, dedicated secure gateway between AWS and the Intelsat global media distribution network, said the company.

It aims to provide Intelsat’s media customers with a more efficient way to connect to their playout, video editing, and additional resources in the cloud while still accessing the IntelsatOne media network for centralized distribution and managed services, including uplink and/or downlink to key satellites and teleports, colocation, and much more.

C-SPAN is the first broadcaster to employ Cloud Connect Media. “Intelsat’s rollout of Cloud Connect Media helps complete C-SPAN’s transition to a total cloud configuration by providing a fast and reliable path from our uplink location directly to Amazon Web Services, with the most up-to-date connectivity available,” said Roxane Kerr, vice president of technology for C-SPAN.

“The ability to send and receive media content securely from the cloud, while maintaining broadcast-grade distribution reliability, has become a focus for many of our media customers,” added Bill O’Hara, VP and GM of media business at Intelsat.

“Cloud Connect Media uses AWS to help our customers access their cloud services while still being able to utilize the industry-leading Intelsat network and our full suite of media managed services for regional and global video distribution.”

ANCHORAGE, Alaska—Alaska’s largest telco, GCI has announced a $150 million partnership with satellite service provider Intelsat that will dramatically expand GCI's geosynchronous (GEO) satellite capacity to meet growing demand for communications services in rural communities across Alaska. 

The deal provides GCI continued access to C-band and Ku-band capacity, which is already part of GCI's satellite service portfolio and provides new access to statewide Ka-band capacity, the company reported. 

"Today's announcement is another example of GCI's continued commitment to our rural customers and our willingness to make the investment necessary to serve small, remote communities across the state," said GCI CEO Ron Duncan. "Some people have expressed concern that Alaska is running out of GEO satellite capacity — well, that's no longer an issue. This deal will nearly quadruple our available capacity. GCI intends to remain the leader in connectivity in rural Alaska. The Intelsat partnership is part of a much broader rural connectivity strategy that includes our AU-Aleutians Fiber Project." 

GCI has delivered satellite-based connectivity for 35 years and has the largest footprint of satellite-delivered data, video and voice services in the state. The new, long-term deal ensures GCI will meet the growing demands of rural customers including regional tribal health care providers, school districts, government agencies, and businesses.

"What sets GCI's satellite service apart is that we manage the network from end to end, combining Intelsat's satellite capacity with GCI's satellite engineering and remote logistics know-how," said GCI senior vice president of corporate development Billy Wailand. "That approach enables us to be responsive to our customers and their evolving needs, delivering a high-value service and a quality user experience for our customers. Our networks are resilient, safe, secure and reliable."

GCI has been actively engaged in talks with low earth orbit (LEO) providers including SpaceX, OneWeb, and Telesat, the telco reported. 

"We are confident that LEOs will become an important part of GCI's toolkit over time," said Wailand. "But before we begin encouraging some of our customers to consider a move to LEO satellites, we need to be confident in their performance and ability to meet our customers' current and future demands. Our partnership with Intelsat provides GCI and our customers with an immediate solution that addresses capacity needs today, as well as the ability to integrate future technologies like LEOs when they become ready."

WASHINGTON—Intelsat has told the FCC that due to current procedures for the C-band transition, it will likely be unable to prevent interference issues post-transition.

This comes from a filing by the satellite provider on the FCC’s Report & Order detailing the procedure for clearing out the C-band spectrum for 5G wireless development.

Intelsat believes that the FCC should revise the out-of-band protection requirements laid out in the Report & Order, as the company thinks it will fail to protect earth stations from experiencing interference. Regardless, the company asks that the FCC make it clear that Intelsat will not be blamed for any loss in quality as long as it has taken all the necessary steps.

“While Intelsat will do everything within its control to provide the same or better service to its customers, it cannot be held responsible for any interference that earth stations may experience from new flexible use operations post-clearing,” the filing reads. “The commission must clarify this critical point on reconsideration.”

PLUS: C-Band Auction Still on for December, FCC Says

Other areas addressed in Intelsat’s filing include operational issues that would arise from not allowing, on a protected basis, continued use of the full 500 MHz of the C-band and Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TT&C)/Gateway sites; Intelsat says that this will jeopardize a space station operator’s ability to provide service continuity to customers or the ability to command satellites. In relation, Intelsat asked that the TT&C/Gateway site consolidation deadline be moved from Dec. 5, 2021, to 2023, calling an 18-month consolidation window “not achievable.”

Intelsat also brought up that the coronavirus pandemic could impact all deadlines of the C-band transition, with issues like difficulties assessing station sites, labor stoppages or vendor delays. 

“The commission should expressly allow for a waiver process if it becomes impossible for satellite operators to meet the deadlines adopted in the Report and Order that did not take into consideration the unexpected COVID-19 shutdowns and related challenges to a massive project like accelerated transition,” the filing reads.

The complete filing from Intelsat is available on the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System. 

An analysis of C-band spectrum reallocation from Northern Star Research published today finds a limited sale of mid C-band spectrum is the best way for Intelsat and SES to pay down or even eliminate debt and begin investing in video and data distribution based upon hybrid satellite architectures, constellations and consumer broadband.

The analysis, “C-Band Spectrum Reallocation: Too Lucrative To Ignore?” by NSR analyst Gagan Agrawal, examines the economic ramifications of the sale of 500MHz of spectrum between 3.7 and 4.2GHz in the United States to wireless companies for deployment of their 5G network.

[Read: FCC Grants Yet Another C-Band Filing Extension]

According to the author, several factors over the next few years will contribute to a decline in C-band-derived revenues for Intelsat and SES, which together account for about 90 percent of the C-band spectrum in the United States. Declining revenues from this spectrum mean continued use C-band satellite service will not make “economic sense,” writes Agawal, referencing NSR’s “Global Satellite Capacity Supply & Demand, 15th Edition” report.

Based on the anticipated value of the spectrum in an auction to wireless companies, selling the spectrum appears to be the wisest choice. Taking into account a 50 to 100MHz guard band to protect against interference, the value of 400MHz based on a U.S. population of 330 million people theoretically falls between $60 billion and $75 billion, based on a conservative estimate of $0.5 to $0.6 MHz-pop.

“And with Intelsat and SES approximately possessing 45 percent of the spectrum each, both could (again theoretically) net at least $20 - $25 billion in proceeds after tax,” writes Agawal.

The author, however, lists several caveats that impact the true value of the proceeds--for instance, higher costs than reimbursements to broadcasters and cable providers because Intelsat and SES may need to launch a new satellite, costing them around $200 million to keep their customers. However, Agawal points out that new HEVC compression as part of DVB-S2X could make it possible to fit all video distribution channels into less than 30 percent of capacity.

Regardless of economic and regulatory factors, however, both companies “have a great opportunity to offset their complete debts with the spectrum sales,” he writes, adding “Intelsat and SES each may gain between mid to high single-digit billion dollars (considering Intelsat’s >6B tax losses), wiping [sic] of 70-100 percent of their debt.”

To read the full analysis, visit the NSR website.

WASHINGTON—Four major satellite operators today announced the formation of the C-Band Alliance (CBA), a consortium established to facilitate clearing part of the C-band in the United States for 5G wireless service use.

CBA, created by Intelsat, SES, Eutelsat and Telesat, grew out of a market-based proposal submitted to the FCC advocating for a technical and commercial framework to facilitate quick access by wireless companies to a portion of the 3.7GHz to 4.2GHz band.

[Read: FCC Advances Goal Of Opening C-Band]

Bill Tolpegin, current CEO of OTA Broadcasting, will serve as the CEO. Preston Padden will serve as head of advocacy and government relations.

A statement announcing the formation of CBA called its creation a “significant milestone” in the advancement of the market-based proposal. CBA’s creation also signifies the fact that the satellite operators providing the majority of C-band satellite service in the United States have agreed upon the steps that must be taken to clear spectrum for 5G, the statement said.

The new consortium also will work to protect customer services from interference generated by new wireless services using the band.

Part II

In Part I, the author discussed the FCC's recent actions to devalue spectrum allocated for C-band satellite. 

On July 25, 2018, Spain joined the list of countries who have completed auctioning RF spectrum to companies interested in deploying 5G services. And as expected, some of that spectrum was in the C-band satellite frequency range. (Note: international C-band satellite frequencies start lower than those used in the United States; the lower end of the international C-band frequency band is instead allocated to federal use instead of satellite use here in the United States.)

With more countries announcing either completed C-band spectrum auctions or plans to hold an auction in the next couple of years, the U.S. is trying to select and standardize the frequencies that can be used to compete in the worldwide race to deploy 5G. And in case you haven’t heard, the “prime real estate” that is being eyed for 5G deployment is currently allocated to C-band (3700 – 4200 MHz in the U.S.) satellite downlinks.

For broadcasters who have historically used satellite to receive content from syndicated networks and satellite news-gathering (“SNG”) trucks, the world is quickly changing around them. As discussed in a prior article, the United States’ Federal Communications Commission has formally issued an NPRM exploring whether and how to clear radio spectrum that is currently used for C-band downlinks. The NPRM comes in response to Congress’ MOBILE NOW act that directs the FCC to find 500 MHz of spectrum for 5G broadband data use to ensure the U.S.’s continued technical prominence in the world.

INDUSTRY-DEVELOPED PROPOSAL

Thus far, the C-band to 5G reallocation proposal that seems to have the most traction with the FCC is Intelsat’s. To be fair, Intelsat’s proposal to the FCC seems on its face to be counter-productive and harmful to the end users (downlinks) of C-band satellite services. Their proposal—now joined by SES and Eutelsat, but opposed in part by Telesat—offers to voluntarily relinquish some of the C-band spectrum they provide to TV networks, radio networks, private business customers, the military, and others. This idea runs counter to the mentality held by most downlink users: full-arc, full-band coverage is critical due to the flexibility and variety of services that might be needed on short notice.

Intelsat asserts that their business goal, however, is not to cut off any existing customers; indeed, they propose to maintain the same level of throughput and utility in spite of a reduced capacity. Through the possible launch of numerous new smaller satellites, newer compression techniques (migrating customers from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or even HEVC) and/or other means, Intelsat’s aim is to preserve their satellite customers’ ability to deliver all their content without any loss of functionality.

Intelsat’s proposed “Consortium” would negotiate with 5G companies to clear out all satellite transmissions and downlink users from a large portion of the C-band spectrum and dedicate it for 5G use. The Consortium would also be responsible for coordinating with all downlink sites and users, tallying their costs, and reimbursing them for most or all costs that they incur as part of the move to clear some of the C-band spectrum.

In the proposal, the revenue that the U.S. government and the Consortium’s operators would realize by relinquishing (effectively “selling” or “leasing”) their spectrum to the 5G companies would provide the financial wherewithal to mitigate any potential losses by downlink users or other current C-band users. Supposedly, the proceeds of the sale/auction would be adequate to cover both capital costs from the conversion/migration and any higher operational costs such as higher cost for the smaller supply of remaining C-band spectrum.

ALTERNATIVES TO C-BAND SATELLITE

Facing the pressure of trying to keep up with other countries, the FCC’s NPRM, and Intelsat’s proposal, a fair question to ask is “How much would the [partial] loss—or increased cost—of C-band actually affect broadcasters and other users?”

[Read: Broadcasters: Now’s The Time To Register Your C-Band Downlink Sites]

Look at any current trade magazine for radio or television, and it’s inescapable that the majority of ads are from manufacturers of equipment that use IP in tandem with—or even instead of—legacy analog or even digital transmission paths. TV stations everywhere have been enjoying the LiveU bonded cellular modems that attach to news cameras; now it’s possible to go just about anywhere in a city with good cellular coverage and instantly set up a remote live broadcast without having to set up a satellite link or an RF Marti link back to the studio. One broadcaster tells of facing the choice of spending $100,000 to $200,000 to update and refurbish one of their older SNG trucks; they instead used a fraction of that and purchased a number of new field cameras equipped with LiveU backpacks, thereby equipping multiple news crews with better widespread live capabilities than a single SNG truck could ever provide.

Already, at least one of the largest national radio networks is using IP as their primary means of backhauling their signal to their owned-and-operated radio station transmitter sites, with Ku-band satellite as backup to dual Internet-delivered streams.

Another syndicated national radio network uses dual internet-delivered streams as their primary backhaul of their signal to a satellite uplink provider who then puts it up on satellite for C-band delivery to their affiliates (no irony there, right?).

Some of the largest cable television companies leverage their extensive nationwide fiber networks to distribute content (some of which is downlinked from C-band) from a few super-headend locations to many individual headends across the U.S., thus avoiding the headache of maintaining lots of C-band dishes at every head-end.

Microspace, a satellite teleport operator that handles a lot of broadcast content, has for years been building out and expanding their CDN-type services over the internet, aggregating content and distributing it without any of the content ever touching satellite.

And secure or not, more and more radio stations are using Barix point-to-point products to deliver their audio from the studio to the transmitter, and Barix also offers other products for point-to-multipoint distribution.

LIVING IN THE PAST – OR THE FUTURE?

In light of the widespread and rapid advancement of IP-enabled transmission paths and equipment along with the rapid growth of the internet for all sorts of data delivery, is it therefore fair to ask the current satellite users whether they’ll be able—and when they’ll be willing—to move forward into the 21st century and stop relying on a service first authorized in the 1970s? It’s a tough (and perhaps a hot-button) question, because C-band is arguably still the most reliable and cost-effective means of broadcasting content to an unlimited number of downlink locations.

Yet I can’t help but think back to the late 1990’s and early 2000’s when digital satellite receivers and computer automation were making serious inroads into broadcasting, while some stations still desperately clung onto their endless-loop tape cart machines triggered by not-so-subaudible tones. Could a station stay on the air and maintain the cart machines without upgrading to a computer? Sure, but in retrospect, doesn’t that seem like a pretty short-sighted view?

Are we at the point in IP’s advancement where history will show that relying solely on C-band for distribution to a limited number of sites is akin to hanging onto an old cart machine instead of using an automation system? Isn’t this the same as a newspaper company clinging to a paper-only mentality when its competitors expanded their service to deliver news via websites, social media, smartphone apps, and push notifications?

If so, it’s easy to wonder how we ended up at this crossroads and why the decisions seem so difficult to make. Could it be that some broadcasters are fearful of moving to IP-based technologies out of ignorance of how “I.T.” works, or how to safely and successfully integrate IP into a legacy broadcast plant and path? There certainly is no shortage of network-savvy folks out there looking for work, but it’s still not terribly easy to find fresh young faces of new hires who are savvy both in broadcast engineering and information technology (and interested in working for the paltry salaries sometimes offered to them, but that’s another story that may be changing).

PLANNING FOR A BUSINESS CHANGE

It’s been said many different times in many different ways, and it’s something that some broadcasters and C-band users need to grasp:

If you form a business plan that depends on a specific type of current technology, you’ll eventually go out of business. Technology will change and advance, and if you’re not prepared to adapt to it and adopt it, you’ll get left behind when your competition moves forward and you’re still clinging to obsolete technology.

Instead, you should have a mission statement of what you’re trying to do, and as new technology comes along you should carefully and quickly evaluate it to see if and how you can adopt it to fulfill your mission statement. Use whatever technology exists to reach your customers and fulfill your mission statement, and you’ll succeed in business.

That simple idea is one that applies to just about all areas of business, but especially so in the area of communications. The world is changing around us: Are we prepared to succeed or doomed to obsolescence?

Satellite communications is definitely changing, but it’s not just because the FCC wants to take away some of the spectrum for 5G. It’s changing because technology is advancing and changing the demand for SatCom in light of competitive technology and services. The real question facing us is whether we’ll embrace the changes, or try to resist them. As then-Chairman Tom Wheeler told the Satellite Leadership Dinner in 2016 about the need for 5G-related changes in the satellite industry:

“It is far more practical to get on the train than to be run over by it.”

Because of the FCC’s recent NPRM and Order, 5G’s growth and spectrum demands, and the satellite industry’s home-grown proposal to migrate C-band satellite frequencies to enable the “national priority” of 5G, we satellite downlink users have arrived (like it or not) at a definitive fork in the technical road, and we’re going to have to make a choice.

This (almost-certain) change coming to satellite communications is a perfect case example highlighting the critical need to stay informed and abreast of new technology. Like it or not, technical innovation and (perhaps unfortunately) politics affect your business, and if you want your business to succeed and thrive your company must pay attention, invest in training and innovation, and be aware of and involved with regulations that will affect it.

Years from now, how will you answer this question?

“Did the end of satellite communications as we knew it actually matter?”

Sherrod Munday currently serves as vice president of engineering for Sky Angel, a 2-channel TV network found on Dish Network. His experience includes full-time and consulting engineering in both TV and Radio, delivering live and preproduced content over the air, via satellite syndication, and directly to consumers across the Internet. You may reach him at smunday@ieee.org

WASHINGTON--Satellite communications provider Intelsat has announced that C-SPAN, the Washington D.C. based suite of public affairs networks, has signed a new, long-term contract for C-band satellite services on Intelsat’s Galaxy 14 satellite.

C-SPAN will join a select group of top tier programmers on Intelsat’s highly penetrated Galaxy 14 neighborhood located at 125° West. Galaxy 14 distributes more than 200 channels in North America, with over 100 channels in HD. Intelsat will transport the signals from C-SPAN’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. via IntelsatOne fiber and provide an uplink to Galaxy 14 for distribution to cable head-ends via the Intelsat teleport in Ellenwood, Ga. Intelsat’s Riverside teleport in California will provide an additional disaster recovery uplink. C-SPAN is expected to transition its programming to Galaxy 30, a next-generation Intelsat satellite, after Galaxy 30’s planned launch in 2020.

“The breadth and depth of Intelsat’s satellite solutions will enable C-SPAN to efficiently provide our affiliates with reliable, high-quality feeds of our standard and high definition television signals,” said Roxane Kerr, vice president of technology, C-SPAN. “We chose Intelsat’s Galaxy 14 satellite because of the strong video neighborhood, robust protection program, cost-effectiveness, and long-term commitment to cable distribution, demonstrated by the Galaxy 30 replacement satellite program, ordered by Intelsat earlier this year.”

“The unprecedented reach of Galaxy 14 enables media customers to cost-effectively reach millions of viewers and, consequently, grow their business,” said Rob Cerbone, vice president and general manager of media, Intelsat. “Our hybrid satellite and fiber network coupled with our disaster recovery program will provide C-SPAN with the availability, resiliency and reliability needed to ensure their high-quality programming is distributed without interruption. C-SPAN’s long-term commitment to Intelsat is an example of the value that our video neighborhoods deliver and the advantage of the end-to-end solutions that we provide.”

PARIS—Eutelsat has endorsed a proposal from Intelsat, Intel and SES to protect C-band satellite transmissions while accelerating 5G rollout by mobile operators in the United States using a market-based approach.

“We are pleased to be joining this proposal which aims to create fair conditions for the shared use of C-band with mobile operators in the U.S. while protecting the quality of services provided to our customers over the long term,” said Rodolphe Belmer, CEO of Eutelsat.

[Read: NAB, NTA Object To C Band Wireless Service Use]

The proposal, developed as a response to an FCC initiative to allocate C-band frequency for 5G services, seeks to protect the satellite services in the band, used by broadcasters, media and data companies in the United States.

It establishes a commercial and technical framework to allow terrestrial mobile operators to access spectrum in the 3,700 to 4,200 MHz band as they race to deploy 5G services.

In a joint statement, Intelsat CEO Stephen Spengler and SES President/CEO Steve Collar said the proposal is the “only one” that maintains the quality of hundreds of incumbent C-band services. It protects satellite service providers’ investments in space and ground infrastructure while providing for accelerated 5G deployment.

More than 100 million U.S. households watch video and listen to audio distributed to broadcasters via C-band. The band also provides data connectivity for those in rural areas, emergency responders and U.S. governmental agencies.

The proposal calls for forming a consortium open to all satellite operators delivering C-band services in the lower 48 state region of the United States.

According to the Eutelsat, the consortium would oversee governance of the initiative, define and implement the method for clearing spectrum and serve as the sole interface for market-based transactions with those seeking to deploy 5G services in part of the C-band.

RIO DE JANEIRO — Live 8K video transmission has come to the 2018 World Cup as part of a museum exhibition with the assistance of satellite communications specialist Intelsat and Brazilian broadcaster Globo.

Museu de Amanhã, a Rio di Janeiro museum of science innovation, is showing off 8K coverage of matches from Russia through July 15. The 8K signal is being transmitted as a 200 Mbps video stream from the Broadcast Center in Moscow and transported to Tokyo. From there it will be carried to Intelsat via the Intelsat point of presence in New York.

The signal will be transmitted via the IntelsatOne terrestrial network to the company’s teleport in Atlanta, where it will be re-encoded at 90 Mbps using an NTT 8K HEVC real-time encoder.

Once compressed the signal will be modulated by a Newtec MDM-6100 modem in DVB-S2 and uplinked to Intelsat 14, part of Intelsat’s HD and 4K content distribution neighborhood for Latin America.

“While 8K technology is still evolving and further advancements in compression technology standards are needed, Intelsat’s premier video neighborhoods have proven that they are equipped to distribute 8K content to millions of viewers around the world,” said Rob Cerbone, Intelsat VP and GM, Media.

Intelsat 14 is the latest of the company’s satellites delivering video to Latin America. Others include Intelsat 11, Intelsat 21 and Intelsat 34. 

More information is available on the Intelsat website.

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LUXEMBOURG & WASHINGTON—Satellite companies Intelsat and SES said they have agreed to back a proposal submitted to the FCC for approval that aims to protect satellite service in the 3700-4200 MHz C-band downlink spectrum while opening up about 100 MHZ of the band for mobile operators rolling out 5G service.

“Space and ground segment operators have invested billions of dollars in U.S. C-band networks and connectivity and generate important value out of it,” said SES President and CEO Karim Michel Sabbagh in a press release. “It is therefore our duty and mission to protect the C-band in the U.S. from any form of disruption and preserve its use.”

The proposal would protect video and audio program distribution that serves more than 100 million U.S. households, data connectivity in rural areas and for emergency situations and services for the U.S. government, the companies said.

Under the proposal, a consortium open to all satellite operators providing services in the C-band downlink frequencies to any part of the lower 48 United States would oversee the governance of this initiative. It would define and implement the method to be used to clear spectrum and be the only interface for market-based transactions with those interested in deploying terrestrial mobile service in the proposed portion of the C-band, the companies said in the release.

In October 2017, Intelsat and Intel proposed a solution to the FCC. The latest proposal builds on that work, setting a commercial and technical framework that gives mobile operators quick access to about 100MHz of C-band downlink spectrum nationwide, the companies said.

“Our proposed market-based solution provides a speedy resolution to the U.S. objective of accelerating deployment of 5G services. With Intelsat and SES now in agreement on major tenets of the framework and with the support of Intel, we are confident in our ability to implement this proposal quickly and efficiently, ultimately to the benefit of American consumers and the U.S. economy,” said Intelsat CEO Stephen Spengler. 

WATERLOO, ONTARIO—Dejero is getting an injection of CAD $32 million that will be used to help accelerate its product development roadmap and its global expansion into the broadcast and media market, per a company press release. The investment, which comes from Kayne Partners and Intelsat, will be mainly used to fund development and commercialization of Dejero’s blended connectivity technologies into new markets.

Bruce Anderson

Dejero blends cellular, satellite and other IP connections from multiple network providers to deliver bandwidth required to exchange high throughput, low latency video and data. Via its cloud-managed platforms, news organizations can provide live coverage from anywhere; the products also help provide internet connectivity in remote locations or while mobile.

As part of the investment, Leon and Rob Shilton of Kayne Partners and Michael DeMarco, Intelsat’s executive vice president of operations, will be joining the Dejero Board of Directors.

“Simple, fast, cost-effective and highly reliable connectivity is vital in today’s interconnected world, and is becoming even more so through natural progressions such as connected vehicles and the internet of things,” said Bruce Anderson, CEO of Dejero, in the official press release. “With this funding we see huge opportunities to deliver a broader range of blended connectivity solutions and services, not only to our traditional market of broadcast and media, but to other markets where reliable, flexible connectivity is just as vital.”

LUXEMBOURG—Intelsat and Trinity Broadcasting Network are going for another round, as the companies have announced they signed a multi-year agreement for TBN content to be distributed to cable head-ends throughout North America.

Intelsat will distribute HD and SD programming through its Galaxy 14 video neighborhood to more than 100 million TBN viewers in the U.S. TBN’s programming will transition to a next-generation Galaxy satellite at the same orbital location over the span of the contract.

“The resiliency and high penetration rate of Intelsat’s Galaxy 14 neighborhood has been vital to our growth strategy and expanded our audience base to reach our audience with our faith-based, high-quality programs,” said Robert Fopma, TBN’s COO.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF.—A new proposal from Intelsat and Intel that would allow for joint use of parts of the C-band spectrum (3700-4200) for 5G wireless, which would call for satellite operators to give up spectrum in metro markets for a price set by the marketplace. Intelsat and Intel believe that the proposal will be a voluntary, efficient and expeditious route to more spectrum for mobile broadband, while protecting their broadcast/cable clients from interference.

To read the full story, visit TVT’s sister publication B&C.

WATERLOO, ONTARIO & LUXEMBOURG—A team up between cloud-managed technology provider Dejero and integrated satellite communications company Intelsat has resulted in a new blended cellular and Ku-band IP system for live TV coverage from remote locations. The new system is known as CellSat.

CellSat uses Dejero’s patented network blending technology to combine cellular connectivity from multiple network carriers with Ku-band IP connectivity provided by Intelsat. In the event that the bandwidth available from cellular connections dip due to network congestion or other factors, CellSat can automatically blend in Ku-band IP satellite connectivity to boost the bandwidth back to the requested level.

CellSat communicates with satellite terminal auto-acquire systems to simplify the satellite connection process. It does not require scheduling satellite time. The system can also allocate satellite bandwidth.

The CellSat system features pre-certified encoding and receiving equipment, network blending software, connectivity services to the CellSat network, cloud management and 24/7 technical support. Most satellite vehicles with existing Ka-band or Ku-band satellite equipment can be upgraded for compatibility with CellSat.

Dejero has made CellSat available to consumers in the U.S. and Canada, with more regions expected to be added in 2018.

LUXEMBOURG—Religious-based Trinity Broadcasting Network will continue its relationship with globalized network Intelsat, as it has announced it has renewed its contract to distribute HD and SD programming through Intelsat’s Galaxy 14 satellite. The contract will go through the end of the satellite’s life and distribute content to cable head-ends throughout North America.

TBN will distribute more than 200 channels, nearly 100 in HD, through the Galaxy 14, which is part of Intelsat’s ‘premier video neighborhood.” The premier video neighborhood in North America is made up of eight satellites.

Intelsat’s Globalized Network combines a satellite backbone with terrestrial infrastructure, managed services and open, interoperable architecture. 

AMSTERDAM—Video delivery infrastructure provider Harmonic and satellite service provider Intelsat have announced they are partnering on the launch of HVN Intelsat UHD, a linear UHD demonstration channel for the North American TV markets. Broadcasted via Intelsat’s Galaxy 13 satellite, the new channel will provide multichannel video programming distributors with an opportunity to test UHD transmissions as soon as they downlink content from the Galaxy 13 through their networks and into subscribers’ homes; U.S. cable programmers will also be able to conduct tests of their own of UHD content.

Intelsat satellite

The HVN Intelsat UHD channel content utilizes an end-to-end UHD video processing system from Harmonic while Intelsat transmits live and linear 2160p60 video content via C-band on the Galaxy 13 satellite. Using Harmonic’s Electra X3 media processor, a platform for broadcast and OTT delivery of UHD content with live, full-frame, full-GOP UHD encoding, Intelsat delivers high video quality with minimum bandwidth.

The initial commissioning test signal will use transport stream servers located at Intelsat’s teleport facility in Atlanta and Harmonic’s ProMedia Xpress multiscreen transcoder and packager for precompression of the UHD video loop. Harmonic will deploy its MediaGrid shared storage system, Polaris playout management suite, Spectrum X advanced media server system and Electra X3 later this year to its San Jose, Calif. HVN center for full UHD channel production and transmission. The signal will then be uplinked to Intelsat’s teleport facility in Atlanta via the Galaxy 13.

Harmonic and Intelsat will demonstrate the HVN Intelsat UHD channel content at the upcoming IBC 2015 show in Amsterdam, which runs from Sept. 11-15. The demonstration will take place at Harmonic’s booth, 1.B20.