COLORADO US: Level 3 Communications, an international communications and information services company and Panamsat have announced an agreement that will enable the latter to optimise the delivery of entertainment content and information to cable broadcasters, network television affiliates, news agencies, ISPs (internet service providers) and other customers around the globe.
An official release informs that this system leverages the power of both fibre and satellite and is available through Panamsat's global network. Level 3 president and COO Kevin O'Hara was quoted as saying: "Panamsat has a world-class fleet of satellites and terrestrial assets that provide communications links for the most prominent television, media, entertainment and Internet companies in the US and abroad. Panamsat's fleet offers an exceptional level of reliability, power and reach backed by an impressive level of expertise and technical ingenuity."
As part of the design of this hybrid network, Panamsat is using Packet ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode), a data communications protocol; and CrossRoads Internet access services from Level 3 in several US markets.
Packet ATM is a layer 2 wide-area networking (WAN) service that enables Panamsat to securely and reliably exchange video and data traffic with its customers over Level 3's Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) network. CrossRoads is a wholesale Internet access service that connects Panamsat's network to Level 3 and to the other networks that comprise the Internet.
This design allows Panamsat to transit to virtual teleports that will enable the provider of global video and data broadcasting services via satellite to connect and consolidate its six existing US teleports. In addition, it allows Panamsat's customers to access these teleport hubs via Level 3's distance-insensitive network with local points of presence (POPs) in over 70 cities in the US and Europe. This new approach eliminates the need to use a satellite to gain access to this new hybrid network.
Panamsat's agreement with Level 3 represents the next step in the evolution of its network. The relationship uniting the leading fibre-optic network with Panamsat's existing global satellite and terrestrial infrastructure will allow the satellite operator to maximise the power of both satellites and fibre resulting in an efficient, reliable delivery network.
