Chris Forrester interviews SES/Astra s director general Romain Bausch about its plans for two-way delivery and about the long-term future for satellite broadcasting. European satellite operator Astra is looking beyond broadcasting - anticipating the shift towards convergence, and the broadband future, including two way satellite. For example the operator is already transmitting 11.5 transponders of IP bandwidth-rich data direct to PCs, which is equivalent to 7% of its capacity. Its AstraNet closed user IP/data broadcast system has 40 customers in 11 countries, ranging from German TV station Pro Sieben's 'E-Max' fitness broadcasts to 500 health clubs, plus business-to-business communications, education and distance learning. Astra is also actively working on satellite delivery of electronic cinema.
展开▼
