Asia-Pacific Broadcasting (APB) Satellie Special Supplement 2016 | Page 10

2016 SPECIAL Success for Newtec as it sets its sights on efficiency In a year in which it celebrated its 30th anniversary, it was fitting that 2015 saw satellite specialist Newtec continue its history of innovation and exciting breakthroughs — with efficiency playing a more important role than ever before. The APB Satellite Special speaks with Mario Querner, Newtec’s VP of Asia, on what the industry can expect in 2016. 2015 was a year of achievement for Newtec. Can you outline some of the most noteworthy successes? Mario Querner: Speed and effi­ciency have long been the cornerstones of our technologies and our products. We took that a step further in 2015, with a 10 bits per second per Hz world record, which put 20Mbps into 2MHz. Maximising the transmission efficiency to give more bits per hertz is becoming increasingly important as satellite operators and service providers look to launch new services, while delivering higher performance and improved cost-efficiency solutions for their customers. We are particularly focused on pushing the limits of spectral efficiency, with the introduction of technologies such as wideband DVB-S2X, our unique bandwidth allocation Mx-DMA, Bandwidth Cancellation, and linear and non-linear predistortion Equalink 3, which can, for example, insert up to 15% more channels in a direct-tohome (DTH) transponder. All of these technologies aim to help Newtec’s customers keep up with the insatiable demand for more bandwidth at lower costs. What are your expectations for the satellite industry in 2016? Querner: Looking firstly at the broadcast sector, broadcasters today are facing an increasing number of challenges, such as more complex workflows coming from over-the-top (OTT) and all-IP workflows, the demand for higher-quality TV services (more HD and 4K/Ultra HD) with increased price pressure, increased user expectation for interactivity, “always-on” connectivity and pressure on efficiency in both the ground and space segments. This has led to growing pressure to reduce Opex. Newtec broadcast solutions address these challenges by providing the latest technologies. In addition, we provide Newtec Dialog, a single, scalable and flexible multi-service IP-based platform for MultiService BroadCast (MSBC). With such a platform, broadcasters’ Opex and Capex challenges are addressed while ensuring they remain agile to enable new satellite services in an ever-c