Intelsat: Your Partner in
Digital Terrestrial Television
TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS
As you begin the transition to DTT, you may want to consider
supporting customers
around the world
the following nation-specific factors
Ownership of DTT spectral licenses

Obligations of the DTT license holders

– Required population penetration
– Potential for subsidized set-top boxes
Timelines for implementing DTT broadcasts

Shut-off dates for analog signal broadcasts

Desired content to distribute

– State channels only
– Bouquet of channels already carried by Intelsat
Origination of content

Encryption options that serve as control mechanisms and
advertising feedback tools

Intelsat has worked with many customers on all of the above
topics and can share best practices from Intelsat’s premier
Africa
+27 11-535-4700
[email protected]
Asia-Pacific
+65 6572-5450
[email protected]
Europe & Middle East
+44 20-3036-6700
[email protected]
Latin America & Caribbean
+1 305-445-5536
[email protected]
North America
+1 703-559-6800
[email protected]
customer base.
ABOUT INTELSAT
Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I) is the world’s leading provider of
satellite services, delivering high performance connectivity
solutions for media, fixed and mobile broadband infrastructure, enterprise and government and military applications.
www.intelsat.com
Intelsat’s satellite, teleport and fiber infrastructure is
unmatched in the industry, setting the standard for transmissions of video and broadband services. From the globalization
of content and the proliferation of HD, to the expansion of
cellular networks and mobile broadband access, with Intelsat,
envision your future network, connect using our leading
satellite technology and transform your opportunities.
Envision…Connect…Transform…with Intelsat.
For more information, visit www.intelsat.com.
14/10/6429-DTTV
Satellite is Critical for Content Delivery of Digital Terrestrial Television
Many nations are making big strides toward the implementation of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT),
entertainment services. Switching from analog to DTT signals also allows for the more efficient use of
and for good reason. Digital signals provide improved reception quality and enable the delivery of
spectrum, as frequencies formerly used by analog broadcasts can be repurposed for wireless networks
greater channel lineups and enhanced multimedia applications such as video-on-demand and
that can contribute to national economic growth.
BENEFITS AT A GLANCE
Basic Digital Terrestrial Television
Backbone Architecture
Digital Terrestrial Television Backbone
Plus Direct-to-Home Overlay
INTELSAT CUSTOMERS
•Intelsat satellites carry state
broadcast channels for several
nations.
Sentech
•Intelsat serves the globe with more
satellites and more capacity than
any other satellite operator.
African Department of Communications,
•IntelsatOne fiber network provides
easy access to multiple satellite
distribution platforms around
the world.
launched in South Africa. The service will use
Sentech, working on behalf of the South
has chosen Intelsat to provide satellite
capacity for a DTT television service that
two 36 MHz Ku-band transponders on the
Intelsat 20 satellite to provide both backbone
connectivity as well as Direct-to-Home
•Flexible network architectures
allow your infrastructure to scale
over time.
television distribution across South Africa.
Kenya Broadcasting Corporation
Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) recently signed a multi-year agreement with Intelsat
to provide backbone connectivity that will
carry multiplexed DTT signals from production
The Power of Satellite
Satellite is a critical part of the content delivery chain for DTT, just as it always has been
for analog distribution. The ways in which satellite links are utilized vary from country to
country. Satellites carry DTT signals from the multiplexing facilities that bundle together
packages of television channels to the digital transmission towers that send the signals into
homes. Satellite signals can be beamed directly to private residences, reaching customers
who do not live near broadcast towers.
Flexible, Scalable Approaches Provide Best Customer Value
Intelsat can offer customers a number of different technical approaches to DTT distribution,
based on their individual needs and circumstances.
• The most basic option uses Intelsat satellite capacity to distribute DTT signals from
multiplexing facilities to broadcast towers, which then send over-the-air digital signals to
homes, where digital set-top boxes convert the signal for viewing. This approach results
in signal delivery to all homes in range of a broadcast tower. (Diagram 1)
• For greater penetration, the basic backbone architecture can be complimented with a
direct-to-home (DTH) overlay. Homes that are not in range of a broadcast tower can
be outfitted with a small satellite dish and receive the digital signal directly from the
satellite. This dual-distribution approach can allow nations and license holders to reach
up to 100 percent of the population without incurring the expense of constructing and
powering new broadcast towers and laying new fiber connections. (Diagram 2)
• Nations and license holders can create a more attractive channel line-up by creating a
bouquet of state and non-state broadcast channels for their populations by leveraging content already carried on Intelsat satellites, including many of the most popular
regional and global television channels. This requires nations and license holders to
negotiate directly with the content owners for carriage rights.
• Intelsat’s satellite fleet and expansive IntelsatOne® fiber network can allow state broadcast channels to be exported to anywhere in the world.
facilities in Nairobi to terrestrial base stations
around the country. The signals are then
transmitted over the terrestrial airwaves to
homes around Kenya. KBC will use capacity
on the Intelsat 22 satellite.
Intelsat: Your Partner in
Digital Terrestrial Television
TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS
As you begin the transition to DTT, you may want to consider
supporting customers
around the world
the following nation-specific factors
Ownership of DTT spectral licenses

Obligations of the DTT license holders

– Required population penetration
– Potential for subsidized set-top boxes
Timelines for implementing DTT broadcasts

Shut-off dates for analog signal broadcasts

Desired content to distribute

– State channels only
– Bouquet of channels already carried by Intelsat
Origination of content

Encryption options that serve as control mechanisms and
advertising feedback tools

Intelsat has worked with many customers on all of the above
topics and can share best practices from Intelsat’s premier
Africa
+27 11-535-4700
[email protected]
Asia-Pacific
+65 6572-5450
[email protected]
Europe & Middle East
+44 20-3036-6700
[email protected]
Latin America & Caribbean
+1 305-445-5536
[email protected]
North America
+1 703-559-6800
[email protected]
customer base.
ABOUT INTELSAT
Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I) is the world’s leading provider of
satellite services, delivering high performance connectivity
solutions for media, fixed and mobile broadband infrastructure, enterprise and government and military applications.
www.intelsat.com
Intelsat’s satellite, teleport and fiber infrastructure is
unmatched in the industry, setting the standard for transmissions of video and broadband services. From the globalization
of content and the proliferation of HD, to the expansion of
cellular networks and mobile broadband access, with Intelsat,
envision your future network, connect using our leading
satellite technology and transform your opportunities.
Envision…Connect…Transform…with Intelsat.
For more information, visit www.intelsat.com.
14/10/6429-DTTV