Jasco Power is playing a significant role in South Africa’s migration to digital terrestrial television (DTT), providing the failover and protection needed for the new enabling equipment being installed nationally by Sentech.
The UPSes designed, manufactured, installed and commissioned by Jasco Power will help ensure the reliability of DTT broadcasts when this service switches on, while provision of Automatic Voltage Regulators (AVRs) at switching centres will deliver constant ‘clean’ power to sensitive equipment.
Sentech, is the major signal distributor for most of the country’s broadcasters, including commercial and community broadcasters, and public broadcaster, the SABC. Installation of DTT equipment, which includes transmission and distribution equipment (towers) to create a digital terrestrial broadcasting network, began a few years ago with Jasco Power entering the fray in 2011.
With International Telecommunications Union (ITU) deadlines for global switch-over to DTT set for mid-2015, gearing the service across its 200+ transmission sites in South Africa is a priority.
Says Marco da Silva, MD for Jasco Power Solutions: “Jasco Power won the first major UPS tender to equip 35 sites because of its proven local expertise in this sector, its large base of skilled resources, and its ability to design, manufacture, install and commission the needed equipment. We won the second contract for another 35 sites because of our ability to deliver effectively and efficiently.”
DTT is the evolution of current analogue broadcasting technologies and refers to the broadcasting of terrestrial television in digital format. DTT makes more efficient use of radio spectrum, increasing broadcast capacity, providing better quality images and lowering operating costs for broadcast and transmission.
Explains Da Silva: Steady, reliable power supply to transmission equipment is crucial to ensure uninterrupted broadcasts. The UPSes were tailor-made to meet the physical and capacity needs of each site with an emphasis on future scalability and compactness of design, and as many of these sites were remote and difficult to access, form factor was a key consideration.
Jasco Power designed four different configurations to meet the needs of various sites. The company then sourced the hardware components and developed the UPSes.
Notes Da Silva: “As we are geared for local integration, the UPS’ were manufactured in a fraction of the time generally required – we were able to complete 100kVA modular units in under five days rather than the six to eight weeks. In addition, our highly skilled teams have completed the commissioning of the equipment against considerable odds in good time.”
Four specialised Jasco teams then delivered and installed the equipment, travelling across the country to more than 70 sites, many of them remote and accessible only via 4×4 vehicles.
An award of a contract to install AVRs at two of the client’s main switching sites followed. “This equipment will ensure constant ‘clean’ power is available to sensitive switching equipment,” says Da Silva.
Underpinning Jasco Power’s success on this project is strong team work and tight project management. “We maintained full control of quality by keeping delivery on all aspects of the project in-house, including commissioning of the equipment,” says Da Silva.
Installation of equipment to enable DTT nationally is about 60-70 percent complete and the project is on-going.
Notes Da Silva: “We are pleased to be part of this important migration to DTT.”