HERNDON, Va.—USSI Global has chosen ST Engineering iDirect broadcast technology to modernize and compress the distribution uplinks of satellite programmers so they can comply with the FCC C-band spectrum transition.
ST Engineering iDirect will provide broadcast equipment, including M1600 modulators, USS02012 redundancy switches and FR0730 up and down converters, to enable USSI Global to assist its customers in making a smooth transition. The modernized compression systems will serve sports distributors of MLB, NHL and NBA content and several major program distribution systems in the United States. The upgrade is expected to be completed by August 2023, USSI Global said.
“Sports broadcasting is integral to the media sector in the United States, and the transition from the C-band is a critical one,” said Darren Ludington, regional vice president of sales, Americas, at ST Engineering iDirect.”
The FCC C-band spectrum transition will clear 300MHz of the 500MHz band for 5G mobile services. Relocated C-band users will be moved to the remaining 200MHz.
The transition will require affected providers to navigate complex technical challenges, including installation of new and existing antennas and repointing and filtering antennas that are upgraded, it said.
“This is a critical and highly visible project that represents an important first element in the FCC initiative to clear the C-band spectrum for 5G. The ground solutions track is part of our core business focus, both now and in the future for our company,” said Bob Dunbar, senior vice president of business development at USSI Global.
“We have worked with ST Engineering iDirect for a number of decades, and they are a trusted technology partner. We have used its equipment as the solution in most all of our customer uplink modernizations around the globe with several compression vendors. Through its highly innovative and efficient technology and our strong, proven partnership, we know that we can enable the smooth transition for the programmers affected by the C-band clearing compression requirement. We also look forward to seeing our partnership continue to flourish in the future as we jointly leverage emerging opportunities in satellite ground segment.”
More information is available on USSI Global website.
