South African broadcasting signal distributor Sentech has signed a deal with global satellite services company Intelsat to expand its direct-to-home (DTH) and digital terrestrial television (DTT) services in Africa.
The companies say a contract between them has been extended for "multiple years".
Sentech says it plans to leverage the strength of Intelsat's video neighbourhood and use Ku-band capacity on the Intelsat 20 satellite to cost-effectively expand and enhance its DTH and DTT services.
"Sentech is committed to providing comprehensive digital delivery services to Africa, and ensuring our customers have access to high-quality, reliable and differentiated content," says Leago Takalani, executive for technology at Sentech.
The Intelsat 20 satellite will provide Sentech with a selection of nearly 500 channels, 31 of which are high-definition.
"As the rest of the continent continues the migration to DTT, the power of Intelsat 20 will enable us to efficiently deliver digital services to the largest number of viewers, as well as expand our customer base. Most importantly, it will enable us to enhance our channel selection and deliver more affordable, entertaining programming to viewers across multiple channels throughout South Africa," says Takalani.
Intelsat already provides DTT solutions in Africa, "supported by advanced coding and modulation techniques that enable efficient use of bandwidth and improved reception quality".
"Intelsat 20 reaches more viewers in Africa than any other DTH platform, making it an ideal video neighbourhood to support Sentech's growing business needs," according Rhys Morgan, Intelsat's interim sales manager for Africa.
"Our ability to support and deploy both DTH and DTT transmissions will enable Sentech to continue its customers' seamless migration to DTT. It will also provide Sentech with a greater array of more affordable entertainment options to delight both existing and new customers."
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