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)
