PanAmSat satellite/fiber network showcases HD delivery for international customer

Fiber Optics Weekly Update, June 18, 2004

PanAmSat Corporation announced that it had signed an agreement with Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) to deliver live sporting events and breaking news in high-definition (HD) format via the company's worldwide satellite and fiber network.

NHK will uplink news and sporting events across the U.S. via mobile satellite news gathering (SNG) vehicles to PanAmSat's domestic satellite fleet. The high-definition signals will then be downlinked to the company's Atlanta teleport, where recently-installed HDTV equipment will allow PanAmSat engineers to monitor the programming content for quality assuredness. PanAmSat will then provide the terrestrial fiber link to reach NHK's U.S. gateway in New York City.

NHK, a 50-year television veteran, has made a commitment to produce all its programming in HD format. All original NHK programming transmitted to Japan will be sent in high-definition format for broadcast on their terrestrial, cable, and DTH platforms. Events including Major League Baseball and the U.S. presidential election are among the many that PanAmSat will deliver in HD to NHK's U.S. gateway in New York.