services might bring forth , teleport operators have to first implement an IP infrastructure within their facility . Although IP is a technology — like cloud — emerging from the IT space , the teleport industry has been running IP infrastructure and transmitting IP for years , Bell says . “ Instead of a threat , it has been a boon to operations , because it turns a welter of standards into a single one that can be managed easily across every kind of network .

“ Teleport operators have also been investing in building data centres for ingesting , managing , scheduling and distributing content . So , the rise of IP video for online distribution finds teleports perfectly positioned to meet the new needs of customers .”

Last month , the WTA awarded STN provisional certification of its Slovenia Teleport located near Ljubljana under WTA ’ s Teleport Certification Programme , an initiative that is aimed to create an objective and internationally accepted method for teleport operators to document the quality of their operations for customers and partners , as well as customers , to select teleport vendors that is appropriate to their applications .

Since its inception in 2004 , STN has been providing solutions for broadcast over satellite with its expertise in enabling media companies to facilitate single-channel startups , as well as transmitting multiple direct-to-home ( DTH ) satellite platforms . To date , the Slovenia-based teleport operator has transmitted more than 600 TV channels with its global reach extended into the regions of Europe , the Middle East , Asia , Africa and the Americas .

Mitja Lovsin , COO of STN ,

ABS has master control rooms located in the Philippines , Indonesia , and with its partner teleport in Hong Kong , to manage and operate broadcast services for its clients in the media industry .

says : “ The way in which we communicate has evolved beyond all recognition over a relatively short period of time , and it ’ s all down to mobility . Our reliance on mobile devices has brought about the demand for constant connectivity , anywhere and everywhere .

“ The hub is no longer the home . Offices and businesses , governments and individuals , all expect to have the same connected experience no matter where they happen to be . These changes are having a profound effect upon the teleport sector , and are set to shape the satellite industry and its ground infrastructure for years to come .”

While most teleports have previously focused on either data or broadcasting services , Lovsin points out that it was “ very rarely ” the case that one teleport would divide its business equally between both segments . He elaborates : “ However , future developments in connectivity will without doubt make most teleports , which have

been broadcast-centric , shift their focus to the data and connectivity segments . With what will probably be the biggest increase in satellite infrastructure ever , the opportunities for teleports are on the rise .

“ We are entering a brand-new era against the backdrop of announcements of ‘ mega ’ small satellite constellations operating in Low Earth Orbit ( LEO ) and Medium Earth Orbit ( MEO ), as well as the traditional geostationary ( GEO ) satellites . This is going to create huge opportunities and challenges for teleport operators , but this is most definitely an exciting time .”

It is also critical for teleports operators to show agility in their business , according to Lovsin , adapt to follow market trends and adjust their infrastructure accordingly to fulfil future market demands for ubiquitous connectivity and new broadcasting methods , as well as offering cost-effective satellite packages .

Agreeing on Lovsin ’ s point of mobility advancement , WTA ’ s Bell

suggests that viewers are now living in the “ golden age ” of TV , with access to vast amounts of highquality programming online and on-demand . “ That trend seems likely to continue and accelerate , but it is also easy to forget that what we experience in the world ’ s rich nations is still not available to a majority of people on the planet . I expect satellite technology to find new markets delivering content , most likely through hybrid platforms that may include LEO and mobile for interactivity ,” he says .

Also seeing the adoption of hybrid models is ABS , whose satellite services span across the Americas , Africa , Asia-Pacific , Europe , the Middle East , Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States ( CIS ) countries .

Simon Chow , director , broadcasting products and projects , ABS , explains : “ For linear channels , satellites still remain the most effective way to deliver content , as building an IP infrastructure to simultaneously deliver hundreds of channels seamlessly will be challenging and very expensive .

“ The video-on-demand ( VoD ) and non-appointment based content viewing will be delivered through IP , thus making business sense for operators and content providers to have a hybrid solution . This will allow them to save costs and make their offerings to viewers at a lower price tag while increasing the volume uptake .”

Stressing that TV broadcast will remain a critical part of content consumption , Chow highlights that broadcasting will endure as the backbone of content delivery as it is the “ most reliable and fail-proof mechanism ”. Especially for the demand of HD

and 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) formats , these high-resolution content will demand the necessary bandwidth requirement .

“ Content production is on a growth curve as more and more screens and options are available to consumers . Content providers are continually looking at the markets to monetise the content ,” he adds . “ With compression and modulation technologies developing , the ability to pump more content into the same bandwidth will make it more cost-effective for broadcasters and the platforms to launch more channels as the content is available to be consumed .”

Although 4K / UHD acquisition is increasingly being adopted , Chow reveals that 4K / UHD production is not yet readily available in most post facilities , and 4K / UHD content for TV is still “ not reaching a critical volume for mass 24x7 broadcasting ”.

He continues : “ This situation is similar to the deployment of HDTV 10 to 15 years ago , which took a period of time for the market to migrate from SD to HD . Now HD video production is common , and 4K / UHD is promising . However , it is just a matter of time before high-speed network video production infrastructure becomes common .

“ Efficient modulation modes and advanced DVB-S standards nowadays are ready to deliver premium content in higher data rate to broader regions . Noticeably , some of our clients are starting to upgrade their facility and introducing 4K / UHD services to their audiences by offering options to replace their existing set-top box with 4K / UHD boxes . This is encouraging and a good approach to 4K / UHD adoption .”