SkyStream, a leader in IP video delivery solutions, today announced that China Education Television (CETV) will use its media delivery platforms to expand video content distribution, rural Internet service and distance-learning programs to remote areas.

CETV will extend broadband distance learning across the nation using the SkyStream Source Media Router (SMR-26) IP encapsulation solution for broadcasting the educational content at the uplink and Edge Media Receiver and Router (EMR) to receive and distribute the content to its end destination. CETV will also offer video-on-demand and other video services to 25 remote areas via satellite, where broadband services are not currently available.

CETV is extending its rural educational service starting in the Gobi Desert as part of its new "village-to-village" program. In the next few years, CETV plans to roll out Internet and video services to more than 5,000 rural villages.

"There are many people in China living in rural areas who desire the opportunity to receive the same high-quality educational programs as those living in the cities, and the Chinese government and CETV have developed this incredibly innovative approach to level the playing field for them," said Jim Olson, president and CEO of SkyStream. "We are very committed to helping China establish leadership in developing video applications and are proud to be a part of such an important educational effort."

SkyStream's SMR will provide digital broadcasting capabilities and transmit the educational content to the EMRs located in the remote sites over CETV's DVB satellite network. In addition to equipment, SkyStream will provide CETV with direct support and training to schedule and reliably distribute the educational programs to multiple CETV village sites.

SkyStream's SMR enables service providers to reliably and scalably deliver data and video through their DVB-based networks, transmitting content to remote and rural locations that lack the infrastructure needed to support advanced broadband and video services. The dual tuner EMR reliably receives and manages content at the network's edge. It enables the service provider to receive the content at the remote sites while centrally managing its distribution and all the components of the network. CETV is also using SkyStream's E-Manager to manage the simultaneous operation of multiple EMRs.