GatesAir Lands Exclusive TV Transmission Deal

GatesAir, a global provider of wireless, over-the-air content delivery solutions for TV and radio broadcasters, has received a new TV transmission order from Doordarshan, India’s national broadcaster, to strengthen analog UHF television coverage in the Jammu region.

GatesAir, Doordarshan’s exclusive TV transmission supplier since 2012, will deliver six digital-ready Maxiva ULX liquid-cooled transmitters by the end of 2019. The transmitters integrate GatesAir’s APEX M2X multi-standard Exciter, allowing Doordarshan to convert the transmitters to DVB-T2 or DVB-T2-Lite at any time.

GatesAir has delivered more than 30 digital-ready Maxiva TV transmitters to Doordarshan over the past seven years. The six new 10kW transmitters will be deployed in redundant 1+1 configurations at three sites in Jammu, Srinagar and Leh to improve coverage along India’s northwest border.

Doordarshan selected GatesAir due to the continued reliability of its existing transmitter fleet, which is particularly important in the Jammu region due to its dynamic climate and mountainous terrain. GatesAir said it was also the only vendor able to meet Doordarshan’s exacting technical requirements outlined in the tender document. The broadcaster’s testing and evaluation standards were met with 100% compliance upon a recent visit of Doordarshan executives to GatesAir’s Quincy, Ill., manufacturing center.

“GatesAir has been careful to meet our technical and design requirements for all transmitter deliveries to date, and their systems have worked reliably and beyond expectations since going on the air,” said Mr. D P Singh, deputy director general for Doordarshan. “Our recent visit to Quincy also proved the dedication of the people that work at GatesAir, and the commitment they show to their jobs and their craft. The GatesAir team clearly communicated the functionality and high quality of their transmitters during our visit, and we look forward to continuing our relationship.”

GatesAir has long had a strong transmission presence and market share in India. Beyond its long-term relationship with Doordarshan, GatesAir continues to win business associated with India’s private FM licensing initiatives. The company announced two major FM radio deals earlier this year.

“GatesAir is proud to continue its long-term relationship with Doordarshan, and is uniquely prepared to offer guidance, service and support through its continued DTV transitions while reliably supporting its analog TV initiatives today,” said Rich Redmond, president and managing director, international for GatesAir. “Furthermore, our high-efficiency Maxiva systems will provide Doordarshan with the lowest total cost of ownership over their lifecycle by reducing power consumption, simplifying maintenance, and optimizing performance and reliability for analog and digital broadcasts over many years.”