Arris to supply TV infrastructure for Saudi industrial cities

Video and broadband technology provider Arris has secured a contract to provide cable and IPTV infrastructure for the petrochemical industry cities of Jubai and Yanbu in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi government organisation the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu (RCJ) has commissioned Arris to deliver an overall system including a centralised video and optical headend, HFC network, IPTV middleware and IP and cable set-tops. The network will enable the RCJ to deliver enhanced internet services as well as to expand the number of channels it offers and deliver an improved user experience and programme recording functionality.

Arris’s infrastructure will enable the RCJ to unify its channel line-up over HFC and GPON fibre networks from a single centralised headend covering the cities it administers.

Equipment supplied by Arris includes the CAP-1000 multiplexer, the APEX 1000 edge QAM, the OmniStar GX2 optical broadband transmission platform, DreamGallery middleware, the HMC3000 IP set-top and VIP1003 HD IP set-top.

“We were looking for a proven, integrated solution enabling us to cover delivery from end-to-end,” said Ahmed Hassan, director of the engineering department at the Royal Commission in Jubail. “The Arris portfolio allows us to streamline this process, while providing added business benefits such as content localisation capabilities. Furthermore, as we look to expand our geographical remit, the ability to stream from a single centralised headend will be paramount in supporting this growth.”

The RCJ operates infrastructure for the petrochemical industry city of Jubai in eastern Saudi Arabia and the port of Yambu on the Red Sea coast. The Saudi government has committed to expand both centres as well as to develop a new industrial city at Ras Al-Khair, situated 60km to the north of Jubail and intended to exploit the country’s phosphate and bauxite resources, which will also be administered by the RCJ.