Press release
ntl:Telewest Business’ fibre optic network delivers
Premiership football broadcast channels through ADI Group
- Fibre network enables greater flexibility and cost
savings when broadcasting ADI’s Premiership football channels to
fans worldwide
- Resilient national infrastructure ends company’s
reliance on satellite technology to transmit programming and
provides scalable platform for the future
- New network means faster and more efficient content
turnaround times and easier flow of information between ADI and its
customers
15 November 2007. ntl:Telewest Business, part of the Virgin
Media Group, is enabling the ADI Group, a specialist in integrated
broadcast and communication solutions, to provide always-on
broadcasting of football content across the globe.
ADI is deploying a 100 Megabit-per-second (Mbps) National
Ethernet service from ntl:Telewest Business to connect its
headquarters in Preston to locations within London, enabling
content for ADI customers to be fed directly to a global
distribution point. The move will directly benefit ADI’s growing
Premiership football broadcasting business, reducing costs and
increasing flexibility for all football clubs when broadcasting
worldwide.
ADI currently has contracts to provide weekly global programming
for three Premiership clubs: Aston Villa FC, Everton FC and
Portsmouth FC. Each club’s three hour programme - which features
full coverage from that week’s matches as well as club news,
interviews and archive material - is produced at ADI’s headquarters
before being transmitted to London for global
distribution.
The fibre link will end ADI’s reliance on satellite technology
to transmit programming content. Although satellite transmission
has no fixed structural and running costs for ADI, it incurs high
costs for each transmission as a satellite unit and satellite space
needs to be booked in advance to transmit within the set
slot.
The new infrastructure allows a different cost model to be
introduced, with always-on use of the network meaning ADI can make
use of the connection whenever required and benefit from lower
long-term usage costs. It also facilitates a better flow of
information and content between customers and ADI, enabling shorter
turn around times for programme production and
distribution.
“This is a major milestone in ADI’s development, putting us on a
par with the major players in the broadcasting world as well as
demonstrating our long-term commitment and dedication to the
football market. For our partner clubs, the new network will mean
far faster and more efficient content turnaround times and also
better access to their archive material,” said Ken Jones, Technical
Manager, ADI. “ntl:Telewest Business has proved to be the ideal
partner for this venture because of its speed of delivery and
ability to work closely with us to iron out potential teething
problems.”
“The football market operates under demanding timescales. To
avoid disruption it was vital all services were implemented in the
off season, leaving us with only a small window of opportunity to
get infrastructure in place,” said Dave Porter, Business Sales
Manager, ntl:Telewest Business. “Working closely with ADI it was
possible to enable the company to go live with this new network in
an exceptionally short time period and our UK-wide fibre reach was
pivotal in achieving this.”
Notes to Editors
ntl:Telewest Business
ntl:Telewest Business, part of the UK’s second largest
fixed-line telecommunications company, is a leading communications
provider to businesses, public sector organisations and service
providers in the UK. It delivers a complete portfolio of voice,
data and internet solutions nation-wide.
ntl:Telewest Business sales and support teams are located across
the UK, in close proximity to our customers, as part of a
commitment to deliver superior customer
service. ntl:Telewest Business delivers services over
the Group’s £13bn investment in its state-of-the-art infrastructure
giving business customers access to the largest alternative network
in the UK.
ntl:Telewest Business is trusted to provide critical
communications to high profile customers including: Heathrow's
Terminal 5, Birmingham City Council and Cambridgeshire County
Council.
For further information go to http://www.ntltelewestbusiness.co.uk/.
ntl:Telewest Business press
contacts:
Sara Doggett, PR Executive
ntl:Telewest Business
T: 01256 753101
E: Sara.Doggett@virginmedia.co.uk
Sam Grace, Press Office
Rainier PR
T: 020 7494 6593
E: sgrace@rainierpr.co.uk
ADI Group
ADI Group are one of the original suppliers of LED screens in
this country, having installed most of the screens in English
football. These skills have been transferred into the rental
market, where they are one of Europe’s leading providers to a wide
range of clients. As a solutions provider, it is their unique
product offering that sets them apart from their competition and
includes advanced Outside Broadcast units, Television Production
and Streaming facilities and Media Sales.
Please see http://www.theadigroup.com/ for
full details of the wide range of services offered by The ADI
Group.