Realising the potential of SAT>IP

The technological movement that has come to be known as SAT>IP has its origins in the vision of satellite operator SES’s desire to create an IP-LNB – a device that would directly at the antenna convert signals into IP format. At that time (2007) the required chip technology was not yet available, so the decision was made to establish the protocol specification.

The result was SAT>IP, a protocol developed by SES, Sky and software company Craftwork. Royalty-free, the protocol became a European standard in 2013 when it was published by CENELEC as EN50585. The next logical step to encourage adoption of the technology was the formation of a dedicated organisation, the SAT>IP Alliance, which was founded at the NAB Show in 2015. Today the membership of the Alliance continues to grow and includes Arcadyan, Eutelsat, Irdeto, MaxLinear, NAGRA, Panasonic, SES, Hispasat, Verimatrix and Zinwell.

Thomas Wrede is president of SAT>IP Alliance and head of new technology and standards at SES Video. Considering its current activities, he says the Alliance operates with