Intelsat launches New Dawn MCPC media platform in Africa

Intelsat and GlobeCast have launched the Intelsat New Dawn Ku-band Multi-Channel Per Carrier (MCPC) media platform for Africa.

As part of the IntelsatONE terrestrial network, the platform will provide services for regional and international programmers looking to expand their distribution to cable and DTH platforms across sub-Saharan Africa.

GlobeCast will provide ground and uplink services for the platform from its facility in Johannesburg. Customers will be able to contribute content to the platform from anywhere in the world, either via Intelsat’s global satellite fleet and the IntelsatONE network, or through the five-continent GlobeCast Backbone Network.

The Intelsat New Dawn MCPC media platform is Intelsat’s fourth Ku-band MCPC platform on the IntelsatONE network, bringing to 16 the total number of Intelsat MCPC platforms.

The platform is based on DVB-S2 modulation and MPEG-4 compression technology, and can be received with sub-1 meter antennas in much of its coverage area.

“One of the most exciting things about this new platform is that our broadcast customers can now uplink directly from Africa to a prime position for the DTH market in our region of the world,” said Alan Hird, CEO of GlobeCast Africa. “With our global satellite capacities and fibre network, the content can easily come from anywhere worldwide to GlobeCast’s facility in Johannesburg. We expect this to quickly become a key neighbourhood for broadcasters in Africa.”