SES : MX1’s OU Flex Delivers Onsite Connectivity Boost with SML’s LTE/WiFi Solution

Written on 14 Sep 2018

New service will extend local LTE services onsite to event spectators for an enhanced viewing experience
Luxembourg, 14 September 2018 - SES announced today that Broadcasters and event organisers will be able to make use of a new service providing reliable onsite LTE network and dedicated Wi-Fi hotspots, regardless of the location of their event. This is due to Munich-based Smart Mobile Labs' (SML) cooperation with MX1, a subsidiary of SES, to bundle their LTE technology into the MX1 OU Flex product.

The new feature combines OU Flex's 150 Mbit/sec of reliable bandwidth supplied by SES' powerful satellite fleet and SML's 5G-ready LTE/WiFi hotspot solution. Together these innovations enable crystal-clear high definition and UHD content to be reliably distributed to a specialised mobile application on the phones of thousands of event spectators and audiences around the world.

SML's LTE technology is based on the company's core technology, Edge Video Orchestrator (EVO), which allows switching of real-time video streams with a low latency and will extend OU Flex connectivity on-location to deliver video, audio and data streams through a local mobile network for rebroadcasting and Content Delivery Network (CDN) distribution. The combined solution is proven with 4G LTE technology.

OU Flex, which was launched in March 2018, provides a dependable video distribution and bidirectional IP connectivity solution for broadcasters, live event producers, event organisers and remote operators. The solution works even when terrestrial and mobile networks are congested, and in remote areas, to ensure that over-the-top streaming and social media updates can be executed from the field, while also distributing video feeds to TVs globally.

The new OU Flex feature can be used for a variety of applications. One is extending a network to mobile cameras that deliver focused views of an event to OU Flex-connected spectators onsite and audiences around the world. The mobile application can then offer these shots in a split screen mode, directed by the viewer's choice. Additionally, the customer can superimpose sponsor information, graphic elements, or social media conversations on top of the video feed, for a total event immersion, all in real-time.

'We enhanced the audience experience at a major baseball game with our EVO technology by enabling spectators to use their smartphones or tablets to choose the camera angle from which they'd like to view the game - whether from the pitcher's, catcher's or cheerleader's point of view,' said Andreas Westhoff, CEO of SML. 'By combining our solution into MX1's OU Flex, we can go further because of satellite's reliability and reach. Now we will be able to deliver our unique capabilities to customers in remote locations or in network congested situations.'

'Cooperating with SML allows event organizers to up their game as they can now offer services to thousands of phones on the ground, which empowers them to provide enhanced experiences to spectators on-location as well as those around the world,' said Wilfried Urner, CEO of MX1. 'This add-on is a perfect complement to our OU Flex service as it expands the flexibility already offered. We are focused on delivering services that are plug-and-play without compromising on quality, which defines both OU Flex and this new SML add-on.'

For further information please contact:

Markus Payer
SES
Corporate Communications & PR
Tel. [phone]
[e-mail]

Björn Conrad
Smart Mobile Labs
Head of Marketing
Tel. [phone]
[e-mail]

SES is the world's leading satellite operator with over 70 satellites in two different orbits, Geostationary Orbit (GEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). It provides a diverse range of customers with global video distribution and data connectivity services through two business units: SES Video and SES Networks. SES Video reaches over 351 million TV homes, through Direct-to-Home (DTH) platforms and cable, terrestrial, and IPTV networks globally. The SES Video portfolio includes MX1, a leading media service provider offering a full suite of innovative services for both linear and digital distribution, and the ASTRA satellite system, which has the largest DTH television reach in Europe. SES Networks provides global managed data services, connecting people in a variety of sectors including telecommunications, maritime, aeronautical, and energy, as well as governments and institutions across the world. The SES Networks portfolio includes GovSat, a 50/50 public-private partnership between SES and the Luxembourg government, and O3b, the only non-geostationary system delivering fibre-like broadband services today. Further information is available at: www.ses.com

Smart Mobile Labs (SML) is the global leader in real-time many-to-many video transmissions with the mission to revolutionize the global market for live video. With its core technology EVO (Edge Video Orchestrator), the company enables secure, dynamic and high-quality distribution of video, audio and data streams over the mobile network - with a hyper-low latency of one millisecond. SML uses its unique technology to create unprecedented solutions for sports & event venues, public safety and connected cars. The company was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in Munich, Germany. www.smartmobilelabs.com

Written on 14 Sep 2018