Telemedia Taps Nevion for World Cup Connectivity


Telemedia, a South African provider of satellite uplinking services, is using Nevion’s Flashlink fiber optic technology to provide HD connectivity during the FIFA World Cup 2010 event.

The 15 km fiber link is being provided between SuperSport, a South African provider of sports event coverage, and Telemedia’s main uplink facility. The Flashlink installation began near the end of 2009 and took three months to complete, with one month devoted to link testing to ensure reliability and customer satisfaction.

“We chose Flashlink for all our mission-critical HD applications because of its reliability, low CAPEX and OPEX, and more importantly because it has the world’s lowest carbon footprint in the industry,” said Peter Bretherick, Telemedia’s president. “Nevion products are resistant, which is integral to this project, especially with the high temperatures in South Africa and the likelihood of electrical interference. They also offer excellent support, so we know we’re in good hands.”

The special link provides uncompressed high-definition video and allows SuperSport to process World Cup event content being downlinked at the Telemedia earth station.