BT set to provide ITV with new broadcast network

BT has today announced a new five year contract to provide ITV with a state-of-the-art digital broadcast network across the UK.

BT’s “next generation media network” will connect ITV’s 13 major broadcasting sites to its data centres, enabling them to transfer large amounts of data and uncompressed HD video between sites, at speeds of up to 10 gigabits each second.

The new ‘X-Net’ network, based on BT Wholesale’s new broadcast-specific wavelength technology and high-quality ethernet services, is expected to be in place by spring 2014. It will also support compressed media and data links between 32 smaller ITV sites and news bureaus – with the network being managed from BT Wholesale’s International Media Centre at BT Tower, London.

“This is an exciting time for the media industry, as consumers demand more and more content in a variety of formats,” said Mark Wilson-Dunn, BT Wholesale’s Global Sales and Marketing Director for BT Media and Broadcast.

“It also presents a huge challenge for broadcasters, as the market opportunities and their own capabilities are developing rapidly.”

He added that the new network will give ITV “incredible flexibility and efficiency.”

William Medlicott, Finance Director, ITV Broadcast said: “Today’s audiences want to watch quality content wherever and whenever they choose using a variety of platforms, and our broadcast network must be flexible in order to meet this demand.”

BT has maintained a long partnership with ITV. Today, BT Wholesale’s Media and Broadcast unit provides ITV with the network infrastructure to support content digitisation, workflows and TV outside broadcast services, delivering over 50 live events each year.