Intigral, STC provide more channels to viewers

Intigral, leading ME digital media solutions provider, has launched a dedicated fiber optic data link, STM-16, which connects its Dubai office to Saudi Telecom Company’s (STC) broadcast operations, giving viewers more channels.
The Saudi-based company’s IPTV customers will now enjoy more than double the channel lineup, including HD channels, as well as an increase in content offering and broadcast quality, a statement from Intigral said.
The new fiber data link will allow STC and Intigral to benefit from four times higher data transfer bandwidth compared to the previous link. This milestone reiterates Intigral’s position as the leading digital media service provider in the Middle East and one of the leading independent digital solutions providers in the global scene.
“The STM-16 service comes in line with STC’s strategy that’s based on inventing new, high-quality services that distinguish its customers, particularly with respect to multimedia content, and is aligned with the company’s vision in an industry that witnesses developments in its digital potential,” said STC.
“Based on our longstanding partnership with Intigral and their track record, we are confident that they will meet the demands of our subscribers who are always looking for a unique experience in digital media.”
During the implementation of the project, two STM-16 links were built, one of which is the main link that travels through a land route between UAE and Saudi Arabia; and the second is a backup submarine link which uses the Europe India Gateway (EIG) network for its communications cable system. With the activation of the two links, complete data redundancy is achieved through the two different geographical routes.
Ismaeel Makdisi, acting CEO of Intigral, said: “We understand that the telecom company’s main objective is to provide their subscribers with the best services and the latest innovations in the digital content space and we are confident that with the launch of this project the user experience will be enhanced significantly.”
Intigral is a joint venture between STC and the Malaysian media conglomerate, All Asia Networks (Astro) with a current workforce of 240 professionals based in its Dubai and Riyadh offices. Formed in 2009, Intigral recently reported year-on-year revenue growth of 40 per cent, and expects its business to grow by an additional 30 per cent in 2013.
Intigral counts a number of leading regional telecom operators as its customers, giving it access to a combined customer base of 34.25 million users regionally.