Telesat, CBC Select TANDBERG Television To Provide Distribution System For Nationwide Upgrade.

Business Editors & Hi-Tech Writers

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 7, 2000

8PSK modulation implementation for increased

satellite channel capacity and better video quality

believed to be first of its kind

New TANDBERG Television 8PSK solution to be launched at

IBC (Hall One: 120).

TANDBERG Television today announced that it has been selected by Telesat Canada, a world leader in commercial satellite services and solutions, as a project partner to manage, furnish and install the world's most advanced digital video compression (DVC) technology for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

Under the terms of the agreement, TANDBERG Television will supply an MPEG-2 4:2:2 digital video system employing 8PSK modulation for the distribution of the CBC's English Television Network programming to the CBC's regional production centres and transmitter stations across the country. The total purchase, valued in excess of US $3 million, will replace the CBC's current analog distribution system and is believed to be the first of its kind to utilize 8PSK modulation. The system became ready for operation on August 31, 2000, with total completion scheduled for November, 2000.

The compression uplink equipment being provided by TANDBERG Television is part of its newest evolution 5000 system and consists of 8 E5611 encoders (six primary and two redundant,) MX5640 multiplexers, MD5480 8PSK modulators, and an NDS Director(TM) network management and receiver control system. All uplink equipment is supported with hot redundant units that can be automatically switched on in the event of a failure. In addition, the system is pre-wired for expansion to a 12+2 channel system.

These new TANDBERG Television 8PSK solutions will be formally launched to the international market at the IBC exhibition (Hall One: 120).

For reception Telesat Canada purchased almost 600 TANDBERG Television Alteiaplus digital satellite receivers with 8PSK demodulation, all of which will be installed in CBC regional production centres and transmitter stations across Canada.

The CBC, which conducted exhaustive research on modulation and encoding systems prior to making its final decision, actively participated in testing the system with Telesat at TANDBERG Television's UK engineering laboratory. For this system, TANDBERG Television offered its state-of-the-art 8PSK modulation capability as opposed to QPSK to allow the CBC to fit between 65 and 68 Mbit/s of information into the available transponder capacity. This compares to the 45Mbps maximum bit rate that would have been possible with QPSK.

John Lee, Director, Networks Services, Corporate Engineering for CBC, indicated that the fact 8PSK modulation technology allows the CBC to operate six or more channels at higher bit rates than QPSK was a primary factor in the CBC's decision to award its contract to Telesat and TANDBERG Television. The higher bit rates allow for higher video quality for all channels, which will serve as the CBC's primary distribution feeds for the English Television Network across all Canadian time zones.

"During our visits to TANDBERG Television's UK facility, we were able to witness first-hand that TANDBERG Television was devising a forward-looking system utilizing 8PSK technology for modulation and receiving," said Lee. "After testing, it was clear that TANDBERG Television could offer us the high capacity and quality we were seeking in this system."

"The CBC is a world leader and a pioneer in adopting leading-edge broadcast technology, dating back to 1972 when they made history using Telesat's Anik A1 satellite to carry their signal to all points across Canada," said Larry Boisvert, president and CEO of Telesat. "We're delighted to be working with TANDBERG Television to help the CBC make history again, by creating and implementing the world's most advanced digital video compression technology."

The E5611 encoder produces high-quality 4:2:2 pictures at extremely low bit rates and allows the use of Reflex(TM) statistical multiplexing for even greater bit rate flexibility. This, combined with the 100 Mbps output rate of the evolution 5000 multiplexer, will allow the CBC to maximize the number of channels carried in each multiplex without sacrificing video quality.

"TANDBERG Television is pleased that Telesat and the CBC have selected our equipment to upgrade CBC's English Television Network distribution system from analog to digital," said Pat Bohana, VP and General Manager, Americas, for TANDBERG Television Inc. "TANDBERG Television remains in the forefront of digital technology developments, of which 8PSK is one. We welcome the opportunity to provide this state-of-the-art technology to the Canadian market, and look forward to further developing our relationships with both the CBC and Telesat."

About TANDBERG Television

TANDBERG Television (Oslo, Norway, Stock Exchange: TAT) is the market leader in the provision of open solutions for the digital broadcasting of audio, data and video across various networks including cable, satellite, terrestrial, IP and telecom. The company is an innovator in digital broadcasting and its broad offering includes professional receivers, MPEG encoders, modulators, multiplexers, a range of solutions for transport stream processing, easy to use control and monitoring solutions, as well as market leading digital Satellite News Gathering and digital ENG.

TANDBERG Television has proven systems integration and global support capabilities. Committed to open systems, the company's solutions are based on international standards and it plays a major part in developing standards such as MPEG-2, DVB, ATSC, SMPTE and DTTV. Headquartered in Norway, TANDBERG Television has sales and 24-hour support and monitoring operations in Asia, Australia, Europe and the US. TANDBERG Television's customers include major broadcasters, network operators and convergence players around the world including Australian Broadcasting Corp. (ABC), BBC, BSkyB, FOX, NTL, and Televisa. For more information visit: www.tandbergtv.com

About Telesat

Telesat (www.telesat.ca) is the world's most experienced commercial satellite operator. The company made history in 1972 with the launch of the first domestic commercial communications satellite in geostationary orbit. Based in Ottawa, Canada, Telesat now provides telecommunications and broadcast distribution services in the Americas and is a leading consultant, operator and partner in satellite ventures around the globe. Telesat is a member of the BCE Media group and a wholly owned subsidiary of BCE Inc., one of the world's leading telecommunications companies.

About CBC

CBC is Canada's national public broadcaster whose mandate is to inform, enlighten and entertain and to provide a Canadian perspective on Canada and the world. CBC operates national and international radio and television services and is a leading Canadian presence on the Internet.