...upgrade its fleet of Satellite News Gathering vehicles (SNGs) used for Swiss national media coverage. The five SNGs will start operations in the summer of 2012 and will be equipped with state-of-the-art remote functionality and editing capabilities so that reports and news material can be made ready for transmission on the spot. IP connectivity to the broadcasting studio is established using Astrium’s SKYWAN technology, meeting the demand for quick and efficient delivery of media reports.
The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation is a public organization with headquarters in Bern. It is the largest enterprise for electronic media in Switzerland and is made up of several regional media entities. Due to the topography of the country and the fact that 4 different languages are spoken, timely and comprehensive national media coverage can sometimes be a challenge. The SKYWAN platform ensures stable IP connectivity between SNG vehicles in all corners of the country and the hub station in Bern. All SNGs will be equipped with the SKYWAN IDU 1070 Satellite Router as well as the SKYRAY Compact 1500 antenna system. The SKYRAY antenna pointing is Eutelsat characterized, and is, therefore, capable of pointing automatically without line-up procedure. The SKYWAN router enables the creation of mobile SNG star and meshed topology networks. The system also comprises master and backup SKYWAN indoor stations in Zurich and Lugano, providing geographical redundancy and thereby reducing the risk of signal failure.
SKYWAN is a versatile MF-TDMA VSAT solution for high-speed contribution and distribution of video or data content, live or on demand. The solution offers various choices for transmitting video or streaming data in combination with telephony and production intercommunication. The network may consist of multiple sites supporting several transmissions in parallel. Transmissions can be effected ad hoc utilising fully automatic bandwidth allocation or can be scheduled in advance. It is a compact and user friendly system that has a long proven track record with major players in the broadcasting industry.
Through its ND SatCom product range, Astrium Services is a leading global supplier of satellite-based broadband VSAT, broadcast, government and defence communication networks and ground station solutions. Its innovative technologies are deployed in broadcast and media, enterprise and telecom environments, as well as government and defence, worldwide. The ND SatCom team and technologies hold more than 30 years of experience in providing a reliable source of secure, comprehensive and tailored engineered solutions satellite networks and systems.