Six more US cable operators have joined SES’s Ultra HD trials, while some of the first cable providers to participate are nearing the launch of consumer Ultra HD packages.
SES has signed new Ultra HD trial agreements with cable operators Aureon in Iowa, GVTC Communications in Texas, Highlands Cable Group in North Carolina, KPU Telecommunications in Alaska, Service Electric in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and Shrewsbury Community Cable in Massachusetts.
Over 15 cable operators and multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs), with a combined audience of over 7 million subscribers, are currently testing 4k content delivery across SES’s fully-managed, pre-packaged Ultra HD platform. The platform offers an Ultra HD programming lineup, together with satellite distribution services and reception gear.
Commenting on the development, Steve Corda, VP of business development in North America for SES, said: “Our SES Ultra HD solution is on course to enable live and linear Ultra HD delivery to homes in half the time it took HD to reach the same television milestone across the US.
“Cable operators have been extremely impressed with how easy it is to implement our pre-packaged Ultra HD solution across their networks. By leveraging the scalability and reliability of satellite, SES has greatly accelerated the delivery of Ultra HD to homes throughout North America. Some of the first cable operators to join our Ultra HD trials early last year are now on the verge of launching the very first consumer Ultra HD packages in the US”.