DigitalGlue Awarded Contract to Provide AFN with New Transmission Systems

DigitalGlue was awarded a $10+ million contract by Defense Media Activity (DMA) to supply a full scope of design and engineering services, software, and equipment to upgrade The American Forces Network’s (AFN) transmission systems. AFN, part of the media outlets served by DMA, is the worldwide radio and television network serving U.S. troops, Department of Defense employees and government civilians and their families stationed overseas, as well as U.S. Navy ships.

The project will replace the network’s existing systems with four standalone MPEG-4 AVC multichannel compression systems with DVB-S/S2 RF modulation thus allowing standard definition channels to be upgraded to high definition. This new system is also deploying a Simulcrypt Verimatrix conditional access system with the existing PowerVu conditional access system, enabling an economical path to the latest technology as it is deployed while not interrupting the currently deployed set-top boxes. Through the talents of its in-house software development team, DigitalGlue is also providing several key software systems customized to DMA’s needs – subscriber management system, a high-level monitoring and control system, and an art work server for an audio-only channel.

“DigitalGlue has long provided services to government and military organizations but we are particularly honoured to play such a significant role in designing and delivering the transmission systems to AFN,” says Sean Busby, president of DigitalGlue. “This contract illustrates the U.S. Government’s continued confidence in DigitalGlue’s solutions and equipment, and we are especially proud of our ability to simulcrypt both the Verimatrix and PowerVu conditional access systems providing AFN and its viewers an economical upgrade path.”