[SatNews] Major broadcaster CNN was able to transmit live video on-air via Inmarsat’s new Ka-band satellite network, Global Xpress® (“GX”). In conjunction with partnerNetwork Innovations, the broadcaster CNN was able to achieve nearly 4Mbps of HD live video via Global Xpress® satellite broadband network from Kathmandu for the May 2nd weekend news coverage of the earthquake in Nepal. This year the satellite operator Inmarsat announced the commercial launch of the new Ka-band satellite service and I-5 satellite network.
Global Xpress® will deliver streaming IP speeds more than ten times faster than its previous live video 'X-Stream' L-band service via BGAN. GX’s worldwide Ka-band service will offer opportunities for broadcasters to achieve SD and HD video by significantly enhancing their satellite broadband connectivity, even in the most remote and inaccessible regions of the world such as Nepal.
“Due to the devastated and mountainous terrain in Nepal, the smaller Explorer-5075 flyaway provided our clients with much easier two-case portability and quicker auto-pointing access to IP via the new Global Xpress’ Ka-band service” said John Stoltz, Vice President of Media Sector at Network Innovations. “At request of CNN, we deployed an NI technician and Explorer flyaway to Nepal to illustrate that broadcasters can basically do the same and more with the GX service for such a news story."
The provider, Network Innovations, is a leading Inmarsat partner in the media, government and maritime verticals and a distributor of Global Xpress® terminals. “At NI, we have continued to innovate Ka-band technologies in conjunction with our major clients such as CNN and network operators like Inmarsat, especially for D-SNG applications.” said Eric Verheylewegen, General Manager at Network Innovations. “The Explorer terminals along with the new HDR & Global Xpress services fulfill a niche for broadcasters’ constant demand for worldwide, reliable, non-contended satellite bandwidth for live streaming and is an ideal complement to bonded-cellular technologies.”
The new Global Xpress® network not only adds higher guaranteed bandwidth for live video streaming but also introduces a full range of cutting-edge Ka-band terminals to the world of satellite broadband. It opens more possibilities for connecting devices, such as bonded-cellular backpack encoders, and is ideal for ‘cellular failover’ when networks are unavailable or congested. Unlike other operators, Inmarsat also offers seamless, global coverage for L-band and Ka-band communications for the media market. These products and services include satellite phones, backpack BGAN (“HDR”) Streaming-IP terminals and now portable GX flyaways for D-SNG applications.
