GatesAir to support national DTV rollout in Chile

Wednesday, September 27th, 2017
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Private TV broadcaster Mega chooses GatesAir for extensive multichannel network project, delivering low total cost of ownership through reduced utility costs and superior performance

CINCINNATI — GatesAir, a global leader in wireless, over-the-air content delivery solutions for radio and TV broadcasters, announces that Chile broadcaster Mega has selected GatesAir to support its national digital TV transition and rollout. Scheduled for deployment over the next several years, the rollout will include more than 50 GatesAir Maxiva™ high-efficiency transmitters in at least 23 cities. The project will include Maxiva ULXT liquid-cooled and UAXTE air-cooled transmitters at power levels ranging from 300 W to 5 kW.

Mega, a private TV broadcaster and long-term GatesAir customer, chose GatesAir for its ability to meet the diverse technical specifications across power levels and system configurations across a large number of locations. This ISDB-T-based project includes integrated remux functionality to support multichannel services; increased energy efficiency to reduce utility costs and power consumption; and an exceptional modulation error ratio (MER) to reduce noise within, and increase performance of, the DTV signal network-wide.

Saul Ureta, Technical Manager at Mega stated, “As we inch closer to Chile’s 2020 analog TV switch-off, Mega is accelerating its digital TV transition plan to ensure robust and reliable coverage throughout the country as soon as possible. To ease our concerns, it was critical to count on a company as strong as GatesAir and its Maxiva brand of transmitters. Our decision provides us with the complete trifecta of high-quality technology, cost-efficiency, and outstanding service and support.”

GatesAir will add further value through comprehensive support initiatives that include training at its Quincy, Illinois manufacturing center. Additionally, GatesAir’s local facilities will streamline maintenance through quick delivery of common, hot-swappable spare parts. GatesAir’s strategic initiatives around minimizing spare parts simplifies systems management and labor for engineers, while accelerating field upgrades through simple, modular upgrade processes.

Bruce Swail, GatesAir CEO, notes that Chile’s commitment to the future of DTV in Latin America offers an ideal example of how broadcasters in the region can quickly launch new revenue-generating media services—and reduce monthly operating costs—by migrating to a high-efficiency, high-performance DTV delivery system.

“The Mega DTV transition is a strategic project for GatesAir in the region that will offer a blueprint for Latin America broadcasters that have yet to transition, or are still in the process of moving to digital TV,” said Swail. “As a long-term customer of GatesAir, we are proud of the confidence that Mega has instilled in our technology and service.”