GatesAir Awarded Second Phase of Bangladesh HD Radio Rollout

Cincinnati, OH, November 14, 2016

GatesAir, a global leader in wireless, over-the-air content delivery solutions for radio and TV broadcasters, has won phase two of Bangladesh's national HD Radio rollout. The turnkey system comprises two self-contained FM radio stations with high-efficiency GatesAir Flexiva FAX air-cooled 10kW FM transmitters, antenna systems and all auxiliary and support equipment.

Bangladesh Betar, the only national government broadcaster serving Bangladesh, awarded the contract as the first phase of the GatesAir-supported rollout moves forward. The initial phase, which covers the capital city of Dhaka, also includes two GatesAir Flexiva FAX 10kW transmitters and is targeted for completion by the end of 2016. The second phase will cover the heavily populated cities of Mymensingh and Gopalganj, with an expected on-air date of June 2017. Both projects are especially notable as the first HD Radio deployments in South Asia.

The GatesAir Exgine4 HD Radio platform, which simplifies signal flow and connectivity across the architecture, will play a central role in each system. The complete system includes GatesAir's FlexStar HDI-200 Importer and HDE-200 Exporter at the studio; and the FlexStar HDx exciter at the RF plant. The complete system supports all HD Radio program audio and program-associated data (logos, station ID information, artist/song data) over a single, bandwidth-efficient stream, with plenty of headroom to incorporate additional services in the future.

GatesAir's ability to also provide turnkey services helped to cement the phase-two contract win, according to Mr. A.K.A.M. Fazlul Hoque, Project Director at Bangladesh Betar Engineering. Along with site planning, design, integration and commissioning services, GatesAir has and will continue to provide extensive training services around system operation and transmitter maintenance both in Bangladesh and at its Quincy, Illinois manufacturing center. GatesAir recently welcomed both the Secretary, Ministry of Information Mr. Martuza Ahmed; and Mr. A.K.M. Nesar Uddin Bhuiyan, Director General, Bangladesh Betar, Dhaka, to Quincy as part of the most recent visit from the Bangladesh Betar Engineering team.

"GatesAir's professional services, reliable systems architecture and high-efficiency transmitters provide value across the project duration, and will enable us to operate a cost-efficient, low-maintenance hybrid FM and HD Radio service for a large portion of our population for many years," said Mr. Hoque. "GatesAir's bandwidth-rich HD Radio platform will also allow us to add more audio channels and data services in the future without requiring any significant additional investment in resources. Above all, their detailed planning and quick turnaround are consistent with our scheduled rollout plan. We also appreciated them welcoming Mr. Ahmed and Mr. Bhuiyan to tour the GatesAir manufacturing center to confirm product quality assurance and further strengthen the relationship between GatesAir, Bangladesh Betar and the Bangladesh Government as well."

The "low-maintenance" benefit will pay dividends for both Betar and the Bangladesh Government moving forward. In addition to the Flexiva FAX transmitter's compact footprint—a valuable asset given the limited real estate available in each RF plant—the latest-generation GatesAir Flexiva design minimizes internal parts, with common power amplifier modules and power supplies. This streamlining of parts and size also reduce weight, making single-engineer maintenance a reality for the Betar team—preserving valuable engineering resources for other needs.

(Press Release)

Radio Nepal orders twelve new 2 kW FM transmitters

State-owned broadcaster Radio Nepal ordered 12 Flexiva FAX air-cooled transmitters, covering power levels up to 2 kW to maximize coverage across the complex terrain of Nepal.

The transmitters, expected to go on the air in November 2016, will be installed at the Radio Nepal, Singh Durbar, Kathmandu transmission site.

GatesAir, a global leader in wireless, over-the-air content delivery solutions for radio and TV broadcasters, announced the susbtantial FM Radio win in Nepal on 1st Nov, 2016.

GatesAir won the contract due to its ability to supply the most competitively-priced and complete offer, along with local support. The Radio Nepal contract also includes turnkey equipment, installation and commissioning services.

GatesAir partner Tzone Digital will assist the regional GatesAir team with all service and support-related initiatives.

(GatesAir Press Release)

GatesAir Delivers its First China Digital Radio Systems

GatesAir powers early launches with Flexiva 20kW high-efficiency transmitters, specialized IP networking systems
 

GatesAir, a global leader in wireless, over-the-air content delivery solutions for radio and TV broadcasters, has delivered turnkey China Digital Radio (CDR) systems to the Guangdong Broadcast Bureau technical center in Guangzhou city, based in the Guangdong province.

 

The initial deployments include four GatesAir Flexiva™ high-efficiency transmitters to support the national roll-out of digital radio in China. The GatesAir solution will support both IP and ASI transport to move audio and data to transmitter sites across the Internet and satellite networks, leveraging CDR versions of its Flexiva software-defined exciter and exclusive RTAC™ real-time adaptive correction system to optimize digital signal performance. The GatesAir solution additionally integrates the company's innovative hybrid crest factor reduction technology to increase power output, optimizing signal coverage in the Guangdong province.

 

China Digital Radio is an FM in-band, on-channel (IBOC) digital radio system capable of delivering a large multiplex of audio (analog FM and digital) and rich data services, including news, traffic and other local and national information. The Guangdong launch will initially support one channel of digital program audio, though the bandwidth-rich architecture and waveform flexibility of China Digital Radio supports in-band multichannel delivery—or multicasting—for as many as 12 channels.

 

GatesAir is working with The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT)'s Academy of Broadcasting Science as well as regional broadcasters across China during the early planning and design phases, which the company expects will lead to additional projects based on SARFT's aggressive rollout plan. GatesAir is the only supplier outside of China to support China Digital Radio.

 

"The sophistication and quality of our China Digital Radio solution directly correlates with our extensive experience across all digital radio standards worldwide—a key factor in SARFT's selection of GatesAir as a trusted China Digital Radio supplier nationally," said Rich Redmond, chief product officer, GatesAir. "The flexibility of the China Digital Radio standard—which includes hybrid FM/digital delivery, multicasting and wide-area IP networking—means that the future is wide open when it comes to the possibilities of digital radio in China. We are excited to be an integral part of this digital transition."

 

China Digital Radio transmitter networks will mainly deploy 5kW, 10kW and 20kW models based on regional coverage needs. GatesAir delivered Flexiva FAX20 (20kW) transmitters to support the first deployments, which are now on the air. GatesAir delivered and commissioned the systems along with Cimax, a regional partner of GatesAir.

 

(Press Release)

GatesAir Brings HD Radio™ Broadcasting to Bangladesh

Government broadcaster Betar Engineering will be the first to launch HD Radio across the South Asia region, covering 18 million listeners with a turnkey system featuring two GatesAir Flexiva™ transmitters

Cincinnati, OH, January 07, 2016

GatesAir, a global leader in wireless, over-the-air content delivery solutions for radio and TV broadcasters, will turn on the first two HD Radio stations in South Asia in early 2016 for Betar, the national government broadcaster for Bangladesh. The HD Radio™ broadcasts, supported by two GatesAir Flexiva™ 10kW transmitters, will cover the capital city of Dhaka and surrounding regions with high-quality audio for news and entertainment.

Upon evaluating digital radio standards, Betar chose HD Radio due to its exceptional audio quality and multichannel opportunities, and selected GatesAir due to its leadership and innovation for HD Radio in the Americas and internationally. Betar additionally chose GatesAir for its ability to provide a turnkey, low-maintenance over-the-air solution under a tight deadline, as well as local sales and support — two key differentiators from competing vendors.

"Dhaka is considered the tenth largest city in the world, with a population of more than 18 million in the greater region," said Mr. Md. Abul Bashar Patwary, project director, Betar Engineering.  "We therefore required a highly reliable, easily serviceable over-the-air delivery platform to ensure consistently strong coverage across the entire region. GatesAir's ability to provide a reliable, US-made platform in a timely manner is helping us get on the air faster—and on the leading edge of digital radio."

GatesAir worked closely with Betar across site planning and system design, including all transmission, antenna, monitoring and peripheral equipment. Along with the Flexiva transmitters, the complete solution includes a GatesAir Exgine4 HD Radio platform featuring a FlexStar HDI-200 Importer and HDE-200 Exporter at the studio. In addition to program audio, this architecture allows Betar to deliver program-associated data services (logos, station ID information, artist/song title details) over a single stream to the transmitter—with plenty of bandwidth to add more program channels in the future. Signal coverage is strengthened through a higher-than-usual FM tower for Betar (250 feet as opposed to 200) and a panel antenna—the first of its kind deployed in Bangladesh.

However, Betar is especially pleased with the training opportunities and ongoing local support provided through GatesAir. Betar representatives travelled to GatesAir's Quincy, Illinois manufacturing center to receive training on the entire system, while GatesAir and local partner Resources-21 Limited will ensure Betar engineers are supported through the installation and commissioning process—and for years following the stations' launch.

"GatesAir worked closely with the Betar team to ensure the end-to-end system is specified to their exact needs in a very challenging operating environment," said Jhonny Maroun, regional sales manager for the Middle East and South Asia (MESA), GatesAir. "We are honored to be working with Betar in this historical project."

About GatesAir

GatesAir, Inc. provides complete solutions for over-the-air radio and television broadcasting, leveraging wireless spectrum to maximize performance for multichannel, mission-critical services. Powering over-the-air networks worldwide with unparalleled reliability for nearly 100 years, GatesAir's turnkey solutions enable broadcasters to create, transport and transmit radio and TV content.  With customers in more than 185 countries, the company leads the industry in innovation and design breakthroughs, improving efficiency and reducing total cost of ownership. Visit www.gatesair.com for more information, like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/gatesair, and follow us on Twitter at @GatesAir

(Press Release)