35 looks within reach. I think the fact that SFA is also rallying is positive. It means the big money guys are taking a position in the entire industry.
<<<<<<<<
General Instrument Supplies Digital MMDS System to SARAVision in Saudi
Arabia
Launch of GI's Digital MMDS Television System Will Enable SARAVision to
Provide Wireless Digital Programming Throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
HORSHAM, Pa., July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- General Instrument, Inc. (NYSE: GIC)
announced today that GI and SARAVision of Saudi Arabia have executed
definitive contracts covering the design and deployment of General
Instrument's MPEG-2 digital wireless MMDS systems and set-top terminals.
Under the terms of the contracts, General Instrument will design, provide
the equipment, and install the system on a turnkey basis. SARAVision will
begin commercial deployment of approximately 40 headends in the Fall of
1998, beginning in Riyadh. As designed, it will be the largest MMDS system
in the world, and the first of its kind to offer wideband services to an
entire nation.
Programming from various sources will be received in Riyadh, encoded and
compressed using GI's DigiCipher(R) II MPEG-2 encoding/uplink system. The
programming will be uplinked from a Riyadh earth station over 4 Ku band
transponders on the Arabsat 2B satellite and received at each of the 40 MMDS
headends for local distribution over the MMDS network. The network
encryption and Access Control will be maintained from a Riyadh main control
facility using multiple GI's Digital Access Controllers, the DAC6000. A
special Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) network, which GI will also be
supplying and installing, will provide Ethernet connectivity, encryption
control and communications between the Riyadh main control facility and the
40 remote headends.
SARAVision will utilize GI's DWT family of wireless digital terminals,
utilizing a PAL output and a telephone return modem. With these systems in
place, SARAVision will have the infrastructure to offer their customers
greater channel variety, along with digital-quality video and audio, and the
return path capability to expand into interactive services like impulse
pay-per-view (IPPV) and more.
The DWT-1000 digital set-top terminal employs state-of-the-art digital
compression technology to provide a variety of services to subscribers.
Digital compression technology increases channel capacity while improving
picture quality and enhancing access control. With its ability to download
software and third party applications, the DWT is firmware upgradeable and
is designed to offer operators revenue-generating opportunities far into the
future.
"We are extremely impressed with the overall functionality of the General
Instrument digital system," said SARAVision President, Dr. Hashim Mahdaly.
"No other partner could deliver us the breadth of services with the
unparalleled experience in the development and deployment of digital MMDS
systems."
"We are proud to be partnering with SARAVision on this groundbreaking
digital deployment," said Glenn Altchek, Director of GI's Digital Wireless
Systems Group. "Systems like these continue to reinforce our long standing
position as the worldwide leader in deploying these types of headend to home
solutions for the wireless industry."
SARAVision is a daughter company of ARA Group International (AGI), which is
devoted to bringing the highest quality news, information and entertainment
to the Arab World using state-of-the-art technology. Other AGI daughter
companies include MBC TV (the premier Arab broadcast station), MBC FM,
United Press International (the veteran US news organization), Ara Media
Services (the Gulf media marketing company), Ara Programming and
Distribution (which makes four of the channels included in the Saudi
system), and Ara Cable Services.
General Instrument Corporation (NYSE: GIC) is the world leader in analog and
digital systems that provide video, audio and high-speed Internet/data
services over cable and satellite TV networks. GI's cable and satellite TV
operations have approximately 7,000 employees and annual sales of
approximately $1.8 billion.
Visit General Instrument at their Web Site -- gi.com
/CONTACT: Media, Sharon Corbitt, Manager of Media Relations, 215-323-1873,
or scorbitt@gi.com, or Dick Badler, VP, Corporate Communications,
215-323-1618, or dbadler@gi.com; or Investor, Dario Santana, VP, Investor
Relations, 215-323-1213, or dsantana@gi.com, all of General Instrument/
16:20 EDT |
