RCN operates more than 100 satellite uplink facilities across North America and its simulcasts are received by licensed locations throughout the world. The Roberts network will be re-built into two parts: contribution from the race tracks transmitting race content to the Roberts central aggregation hub and distribution to end users consisting of racetracks, off track betting (OTB) outlets, casino racebooks, Indian reservations, bars, restaurants and consumers. Newtec will deliver several hundred modulators and demodulators, and a redundancy switching/routing solution.
The network is all IP-based using Newtec’s DualFlow™ technology. Newtec has delivered its Azimuth AZ110 broadcast satellite modulators and Azimuth AZ910 Contribution demodulators which are equipped with DualFlow, offering broadcasters the ability to migrate easily from a conventional ASI to IP infrastructure. Roberts will use the equipment in IP mode to interconnect the encoding and modulation equipment and use higher order modulation to minimize the occupied bandwidth on the transponder. Additionally, the modulators and demodulators will be equipped with AES encryption to warrant a secure contribution feed.