Gulfsat Goes Live With Ateme’s Converged Video Headend

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(Image credit: ATEME)

PARIS—Gulfsat Communications, a major satellite communications and media service provider in the MENA region, has installed Ateme’s converged video headend solution to power its London and Kuwait sites, serving 100 mainly Arabic-language channels. 

The new infrastructure enables Gulfsat to transmit SD and HD DTH services while future-proofing the system with OTT capabilities as well as UHD technologies.

Gulfsat needed to replace its video headend systems in London, which service 40 channels, and in Kuwait, which service 60 channels. Following extensive consultation, the converged video headend solution from Ateme was chosen and deployed to cover the MENA region, the companies said. 

“Ateme presented a strong future-proofed technological solution, coupled with an innovative business model, making it the right choice for Gulfsat’s current and future requirements,” Rabih Salim, technical operations director, Gulfsat, said,  

The installations feature Ateme’s TITAN encoding and statistical multiplexing (StatMux), an intelligent and cost-efficient bandwidth-saving technology. The system is OTT-ready and features high-density encoding, which is expected to enable a greener service through lower energy consumption, Ateme reported. 

Gulfsat’s experience with the solution has been so favorable that it is now acting as a system integrator for the Ateme converged headend solution for other organizations in the region.

George Winslow

George Winslow is the senior content producer for TV Tech. He has written about the television, media and technology industries for nearly 30 years for such publications as Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News and TV Tech. Over the years, he has edited a number of magazines, including Multichannel News International and World Screen, and moderated panels at such major industry events as NAB and MIP TV. He has published two books and dozens of encyclopedia articles on such subjects as the media, New York City history and economics.