Telesat, one of the world’s leading satellite operators, announced today it has been selected as the exclusive satellite provider for Auroras Entertainment, an end-to-end provider of the infrastructure, services and content for Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), the next generation of on-demand, in-home television entertainment.

Auroras is developing a fully integrated IPTV service available across North America, including Alaska and Hawaii, using C-band service from Telesat’s Anik F2 satellite. It is the only platform designed to distribute standard and high-definition television channels, encoded at full resolution through both Telesat’s satellite and terrestrial elements. This will make Auroras the first and only fully redundant, DVB-S2 transport network for IPTV — ensuring the highest level of reliability available on the market.

"For more than 35 years, Telesat has been pioneering state-of-the-art satellite services, and our new venture with Auroras continues this exciting tradition," said Paul Bush, Telesat's vice president for broadcasting and corporate development. "Auroras shares Telesat’s vision of enhancing and advancing the frontiers of television. We’re excited about the possibilities of on-demand entertainment, and eager to play a key role in providing it to consumers — with exceptional reliability."

The Auroras IPTV network will provide the highest quality of entertainment services by allowing broadband operators such as telephone companies to deliver IPTV services quickly and economically. Auroras will be available as a comprehensive end-to-end IPTV solution or as a supplier for individual components required to complete IPTV initiatives.

The company recently ran a successful trial of this new technology for its customers and vendors, broadcasting live, encoded feeds from Wealth TV, NFL Network and Oxygen.

"Auroras has been building a robust and reliable IPTV solution for over two years," said Mike Kazmier, Auroras’ president and chief technology officer. "Telesat’s satellite fleet provides full coverage of Canada and the U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii, and allows for full redundancy, which is a key differentiator for Auroras' IPTV service. Through Telesat, Auroras has access to best-of-breed services, support and knowledge. By working together, we are delivering the ultimate platform for the next generation of television entertainment."