Satnews Daily
September 15th, 2019

Spacecom and ViewMedia Bring a New Digital Broadcast Platform to Africa


Spacecom (Tel Aviv Stock Exchange: SCC), the operator of the AMOS satellite fleet, has announced that ViewMedia, the new commercial name of Viewsat, the UK-based media content distributor, will launch a new digital broadcast platform on the AMOS-17 communication satellite located at the 17 degrees East orbital position above Africa.

ViewMedia’s platform on AMOS-17’s Ku-band frequency will provide DVBS-2 broadcast services to West Africa for a primarily Francophone audience. Spacecom is partnering with Satellite Mediaport Services Ltd. (SMS), located in Rugby, U.K.. to provide uplink services for the platform.


Artistic rendition of Spacecom's AMOS-17 satellite.

ViewMedia is an established operator within the global broadcast and transmission services industry. Its high-quality infrastructure provides digital satellite services to broadcasters in the Middle East, North and sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. The Ku-band platform on AMOS-17 will allow broadcasters to distribute video content easily to the French speaking region.

Safia Rana, ViewMedia’s Commercial Director, stated this is a significant moment for West African broadcasters. The company's newest platform will provide an important service to television viewers throughout the region. AMOS-17’s technology is top-of-the-line, enabling ViewMedia to offer additional and improved services.

Ido Ginsburg, VP Sales North America, UK & Nordic at Spacecom, added that AMOS-17’s Ku-band capacity is the perfect answer for Africa’s growing French speaking broadcast market. With its powerful signal, the satellite will enable ViewMedia’s platform to answer the demands of television viewers in urban as well as rural and other low-density population areas. Spacecom is energized to take a greater role in the African market and the company looks forward to many exciting years providing customers with the best possible solutions.