SES ASTRA has signed a long-term agreement with a company representing independent German cable operators to transmit digital Free-to-Air TV to their networks. KabelDienstLeistungsgesellschaft (KDL), which was set up specifically to provide services to the independent cable operators, has contracted two transponders on SES ASTRA’s new orbital position at 31.5° E (ASTRA-5A). KDL is the first customer using transponder capacity at this position. In addition to the contracted capacity, ASTRA Platform Services (APS) will provide technical services to KDL via its play-out centre in Unterföhring, near Munich. The independent cable operators provide TV-signals from their own head ends to several million German households. The cooperation with SES ASTRA enables KDL to offer them optimized access to digital TV channels called TOPP (Transponder optimized program packages). The service allows a simple and efficient feed of 22 digital free-to-air TV channels into the networks. TOPP also includes the offer by KDL to distribute digital TV receivers to the connected cable households. TOPP is scheduled for launch on 8th of October at the FRK cable congress in Leipzig, Germany.
Germans To Enjoy Free-to-Air TV Via SES ASTRA
SES ASTRA has signed a long-term agreement with a company representing independent German cable operators to transmit digital Free-to-Air TV to their networks. KabelDienstLeistungsgesellschaft (KDL), which was set up specifically to provide services to the independent cable operators, has contracted two transponders on SES ASTRA’s new orbital position at 31.5° E (ASTRA-5A). KDL is the first customer using transponder capacity at this position. In addition to the contracted capacity, ASTRA Platform Services (APS) will provide technical services to KDL via its play-out centre in Unterföhring, near Munich. The independent cable operators provide TV-signals from their own head ends to several million German households. The cooperation with SES ASTRA enables KDL to offer them optimized access to digital TV channels called TOPP (Transponder optimized program packages). The service allows a simple and efficient feed of 22 digital free-to-air TV channels into the networks. TOPP also includes the offer by KDL to distribute digital TV receivers to the connected cable households. TOPP is scheduled for launch on 8th of October at the FRK cable congress in Leipzig, Germany.
