…17th Teleport Awards for Excellence during an exclusive luncheon. The awards are presented each year to organizations and individuals in the teleport industry whose achievements have been deemed exceptional by the international trade association and its awards committees, made up of industry members from across the globe. The 2012 recipients are:
- Independent Teleport Operator of the Year: Jordan Media City. Jordan Media City is a Free Zone broadcast facility based in Jordan. With 25 transponders on a range of satellites including ArabSat, NileSat, Yahsat, Hot Bird and AsiaSat 1A, JMC has established itself as a leader in providing DTH TV and radio services, standard definition in MPEG 2 and 4 as well as high definition in MPEG 4. JMC hosts a large playout Center originating 80 TV channels using Harris servers and Harmonic Pebble Peach automation system. In addition, JMC hosts two large studios (600 square meters each) for drama and other productions, and two small studios ideal for interviews. Mr. Salah Hamzah, CEO of Nilesat, was on hand to accept the award on behalf of Jordan Media City from WTA Chairman, M. Brett Belinsky, Strategy & Business Development Director at Arqiva Broadcast & Media.
- Teleport Technology of the Year: NS3™ from NovelSat. NovelSat’s NS3 satellite communication bandwidth optimization technology offers spectral efficiency based on new satellite modulation technology that boosts bandwidth over DVB-S2. NS3 increases satellite bandwidth capacity by 20-78 percent and 55-110 percent over current DVB-S2 and DVB-S standards, respectively. NS3 has made significant contributions to delivery of video and data, providing more bandwidth from the same space segment. NS3™ is an agnostic technology which applies to all satellite communication types (C-, Ku-, Ka-, X-) and segments (Video Contribution and distribution, data, cellular backhaul, defense and more) in this huge addressable market. NovelSat Co-founder and CEO Itzik Wulkan was on hand at the luncheon to accept the award.
The winners were selected by a volunteer committee of WTA members and previous Award winners based on nominations submitted during the first quarter of 2012. In addition to the above honorees, WTA presented the previously announced Teleport Executive of the Year Award to Bill Tillson, President and COO of Encompass Digital Media.
The 2012 Luncheon and Awards Ceremony, sponsored by SES, hosted many of the world’s leading teleport operators and previous winners of WTA’s Teleport Awards for Excellence. Stewart Sanders, Senior VP, Customer Services Delivery, SES, gave the host’s welcomed guests and finalists to the luncheon and discussed the impact of Radio Frequency Interference on teleports. WTA’s Director of Development Louis Zacharilla announced the winners.
Commenting on the 2012 Awards, Louis Zacharilla said, “The Middle East is rapidly developing into a leader in satellite communications as exemplified by our two winners this year. Both of these companies have excelled in developing the technology and services to meet the emerging needs of their customers. In reviewing the applications, the committee commented that ‘Jordan Media City is simply a teleport that knows how to perform for customers’ and raises the bar in this key aspect of teleport operations.”
