Transitioning from analog to digital TV is a huge endeavor, and now Africa's Ivory Coast public coast broadcasting company will work with SES to move 60 digital TV channels via SES’s satellite at 22 degrees West. This multi-year agreement will include other benefits.
In addition to using SES-4 to accelerate the digital switchover, the capacity leased on SES-4 for digital broadcasting will also be used to broadcast Radiodiffusion Télévision Ivoirienne (RTI), the state's public TV network, to fulfill its public service mission of providing local news and information to Ivorians.
Ivory Coast’s public broadcasting company, the Société Ivoirienne de Télédiffusion (SIDT) has selected SES as its digital partner in a major move to meet the country’s 2020 deadline for switching over from analog to digital broadcasting. This is a multi-year agreement in which 60 analog turned digital channels will be broadcast with brighter, shar per pictures and better sound, via the SES-4 satellite at 22 degrees West.
SES' SES-4 ensures availability of bandwidth and the broadcast of all channels via the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) infrastructure across the Ivory Coast. These digital channels will then be available to all Ivorian television (TV) viewers who have a digital set-top box, or an integrated digital TV with a built-in DTT decoder.
Yeo Adama, General Manager of the SIDT stated that SES has provided them with an innovative solution to ensure deployment of digital TV by broadcasting multiplexes across the country. This is an important milestone as they are now one step closer to ending analog service. They are excited to work with SES, which has both the technical capabilities and the practical experience required to support their ambitious projects, including the implementation of new broadcasting standards.
Clint Brown, Vice President of Sales and Market Development for SES Video in Africa concluded that the move from analog to digital broadcasting can be complex, and they are fully committed to making this as hassle-free as possible for the SIDT in Ivory Coast. Their satellite will provide the reliability to broadcast high-picture-quality TV services to Ivorians, while their teams are well-positioned to deliver the technical services and innovative solutions required to facilitate a successful digital migration for Ivory Coast.
