GI's NextLevel Broadband Networks Group Selected by Century Communications to Supply 100,000 MPEG-2 Digital Set-Top Terminals
HATBORO, Pa., April 3 /PRNewswire/ -- General Instrument Corp NextLevel Broadband Networks Group announced today that it has entered into a contract with Century Communications to supply 100,000 interactive digital consumer set-top terminals.
Century plans to install NextLevel's DCT-1000 digital set-tops and associated headend equipment in several of its major systems, with the bulk of the early deployments in California. NextLevel's digital system will provide Century with two-way interactive communications via either RF or telephone return.
NextLevel's MPEG-2 digital system provides expanded channel capacity, improved overall system performance, and digital-quality video and audio, including Dolby(R) Digital audio, CD-quality sound and the ability to deliver a 16x9 aspect ratio "movie-like" video display.
"We have been helping Century prepare for their digital rollout, and we are very pleased that they have decided to include NextLevel in their future rollout plans," said David Robinson, Vice President and General Manager of the Digital Network Systems (DNS) business unit of NextLevel. "We have designed our digital system to be interactive, so that operators can follow an evolutionary path to greater functionality as new applications become available."
"We selected NextLevel's digital system because of its open, standards- based design," said Mike Harris, Senior Vice President of Engineering for Century. "This standards-based design allows us to respond to subscriber demands by deploying digital systems today, while maintaining the flexibility to interface with future enhancements and interoperable systems."
To date, NextLevel has manufactured more than 200,000 DCT-1000 digital cable set-tops and has shipped 20 digital headends to customers, enabling them to reach some three million homes. NextLevel has customer commitments for some four million set-tops over the next few years.
Century Communications is among the ten largest MSOs in the country, providing cable television service to more than 1.3 million subscribers in 25 states across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. In addition, Century owns and operates Orange County NewsChannel, the regional news service based in Santa Ana, California, serving more than 550,000 subscribers.
Upon completion this summer of its recently announced strategic restructuring, General Instrument Corporation will divide into three separate public companies that are leaders in distinct global growth markets. NextLevel Systems, Inc., comprised of the Broadband Networks Group, based in Hatboro, PA; the Satellite Data Network Group, based in San Diego, CA; and GI's Next Level Communications subsidiary, based in Rohnert Park, CA; will emerge as a leading worldwide supplier of systems and components for high- performance networks delivering video, voice and Internet/data services. CommScope, Inc. is the world's largest manufacturer of coaxial cable and a leading supplier of high-performance electronic cables. General Semiconductor, Inc. (currently Power Semiconductor) is a world leader in the sale of discrete semiconductors. SOURCE General Instrument Corporation |
