Imagine Communications recently completed a major upgrade for Omantel, the Sultanate’s national telecoms company. The upgrade, which relied heavily on Imagine’s Selenio Media Convergence Platform (MCP), significantly boosts the performance and resiliency of Omantel’s contribution and distribution networks.
The new project saw Omantel migrate its operations from an outdated transmission technology to Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET) and Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) through the addition of networking modules to the Selenio MCP, which supports both digital video and long-distance connectivity over fibre in the same 3RU chassis. The result is mission-critical, real-time video transport based on open standards over both media and telecoms networks.
The Selenio MCP enables media companies to combine baseband digital audio and video, and compressed and uncompressed IP media signals into common workflows. Omantel, which was the launch customer for the Selenio MCP, leverages the power and flexibility of the platform to operate a highly agile network linking 55 sites over dedicated fibre providing high-quality HD contribution and distribution services to studios and transmission centres across the country. The same platform also supports backhaul operations for remote productions, including sports and national events.
The Selenio MCP solution’s support for baseband and IP protocols enables Omantel to use a single device for both SDI and MPEG-2 transport streams on the broadcaster side, significantly reducing operational complexity. Signals are encoded or transcoded as needed for cost-optimising the Omantel fibre network, while helping to ensure resilience through redundant paths.
In addition to feeding all terrestrial transmitters in Oman, the telco’s network provides contribution circuits for live broadcasts, such as sports and major public events, to the broadcasting centre. This ensures a reliable solution while reducing operational costs typical of traditional links vehicles from remote areas. Where live coverage is required from a location outside of Omantel’s extensive coverage area, Imagine Communications has provided portable kits to extend the network.
Speaking about the upgrade, Said Abdullah Al Ajmi, VP of operations at Omantel said: “Our goal in designing this network was to meet the quality and reliability requirements of our clients in a very cost-effective way, using open telecoms standards. Imagine Communications was our preferred partner as they possess the broadcast technology, the interfaces to telecoms standards, the vision to create the network we sought and the local support to work with us to deliver excellence consistently. The core platform has performed exactly as we had hoped, and we continue to work with Imagine to extend the capabilities to meet our clients’ demands.”
Anas Hantash, Director of Sales for MENA at Imagine Communications, added that with this deployment, “Omantel has seized the opportunity that real-time IP connectivity offers”.
“They are building out a network that takes advantage of the latest in telecoms techniques to deliver very high standards of resilience and consistency. Our Selenio MCP provides the perfect bridge between SDI and IP, as well as telecom and broadcast, ensuring that Omantel’s broadcast customers get the quality and reliability they demand. We continue to work closely with Omantel. This year’s project to upgrade the network modules is just one way we are striving together to achieve even better standards of performance.”
Source: Omantel Press Release