Newtec’s new networking capability to support all transmission applications required by broadcasters

Newtec, a world-leading innovator in the satellite and communications industry today announced that it has completed the installation of its multimedia networking concept, MENOS - which allows video and audio material to be shared amongst sites across a large geographical area - at the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) facility in Algiers.

MENOS, (Multimedia Exchange Network over Satellite) is a revolutionary networking concept that supports all potential transmission applications required by broadcasters in a fully automated way. These include DSNG uplinks to studios, primary distributions from studios to headends, international contribution exchange between studios and support for business television networks. It also offers IP-based services such as VoIP and corporate VPN’s, as well as an integrated billing and content archiving capability. Newtec has now completed the installation of the MENOS hub, and transmission tests over Arabsat 4B were concluded at the end of March 2008.

Newtec CEO, Serge Van Herck, said : “We are extremely happy that the ASBU is the first organisation to take advantage of this revolutionary MENOS network technology. ASBU will benefit from lower operational costs, increased network flexibility and new revenue generating services.

“Thanks to this technology, the ABSU can now provide advanced and fully automated exchange services to its 25 broadcast members in the Arab world from the MENOS hub in Algiers, as well as allowing its members to take advantage of TV, radio and IP services for their own national exchange requirements,” concluded Van Herck.
 
ASBU Director of Engineering Abdelrahim Suleiman, said, “The broadcast industry is extremely fast paced and we are constantly looking at ways to improve our technology and services. Now that the MENOS installation is complete, we will be able to provide a larger range of faster and more efficient TV, radio and data exchange services.

“In a professional broadcast exchange network, the quality of the service is also paramount and it is very important that we provide optimum services to our members. MENOS is a fully automated and reliable system, where all remote operators have access to an always-on broadband communication channel, therefore reducing the risk of human error. This not only provides members with a more reliable service, but also a greater number of cost efficient services and ground stations,” concluded Suleiman.

The MENOS service will be operated on Arabsat’s BADR-4 satellite in KU-band and extended in a next phase to Arabsat -2B in C-band. The Arabsat satellite coverage includes the Arab world, Europe and North Africa. The first MENOS TV and radio SITs (Satellite InteractiveTerminals) have now been shipped to the ASBU members and the full MENOS service is expected to go live to the ASBU and its members in June 2008.