The number of pay TV subscribers with access to 4K Ultra HD TV could get a significant boost in the near future.
Satellite communications provider SES says nine more TV operators have signed on to trial its 4K content delivery platform, raising the total number of U.S. providers in testing to 30. Operators newly aboard include Cincinnati Bell and Midco, as well as Alliance Communications, Hotwire, Midwest Video Solutions, Oneida Telephone Exchange, Skitter TV, South Dakota Networks, and Douglas County Community Network.
SES notes its Ultra HD platform offers satellite distribution services, alongside reception equipment, and a 4K channel lineup that includes Fashion One 4K, Travelxp 4K, NASA TV UHD, Funbox UHD, and Nature Relaxation 4K.
“SES’s Ultra HD solution is tailor-made to meet our subscribers’ demand for the best television experience available and our strong desire to be among the first to market with the world’s leading 4K offering,” Skitter CEO Michael Agostinelli comments. “Skitter now has a clear competitive advantage as we make an exciting leap toward a commercial launch of Ultra HD services in our customers’ homes.”
According to SES, the 30 pay TV operators it is working with have a combined audience of 10 million. SES adds that three of those operators – Marquette-Adams Communications in Wisconsin, Highlands Cable Group in North Carolina, and EPB Fiber Optics in Tennessee – have already launched commercial linear Ultra HD services in subscriber homes. SES predicts more rollouts are coming soon.
Other operators who were already testing the platform include Verizon, Frontier Communications, MTC Cable, Cable America, and Golden West Telecommunications, among others.
“The turnkey SES Ultra HD platform is home to some of the largest and smallest cable and IPTV providers in the region, who are leveraging the scalability and reliability of satellite to differentiate themselves in a competitive market with the ultimate television experience,” Steve Corda, VP of Business Development at SES Video, says. “Momentum continues to build as SES accelerates the delivery and commercial availability of Ultra HD services throughout North America, and we expect more cable and IPTV providers to join the trio of operators who have already launched their commercial Ultra HD services using our platform.”
