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September 5, 2018

RFS powering two-thirds of South Korea’s UHD TV infrastructure

RFS has rolled out 33 broadcast systems to date across 8 major cities, with countrywide deployments to follow as South Korea strives for national coverage by 2021

TAGS : ANTENNA, BROADCAST, VPT, UHD TV, SOUTH KOREA

Melbourne, Australia – 5th September 2018 – Radio Frequency Systems (RFS), a global designer and manufacturer of cable, antenna, and tower systems for broadcast infrastructure, has today revealed its key role in helping South Korean broadcasters reach their goal of nationwide terrestrial UHD TV coverage by 2021. RFS’ technology is now powering over 60% of UHD TV deployments in South Korea, serving over 650,000 households so far, with additional transmitter systems to be deployed across the next 36 months.

Building a UHD TV world-first:

RFS began work on the world-first UHD TV project in 2016. It has since deployed 33 end-to-end transmitter systems for UHD TV across 12 sites in 8 of the country’s biggest cities. Major Korean broadcasters including KBS, SBS, and MBC are using RFS antenna systems and combiners to simultaneously broadcast DTV and UHDTV from the 12 existing sites. RFS is also providing technical support to South Korean broadcasters for the shift to a higher frequency UHF band for transmission – 700MHz at a 5kW power rating.

The success of these existing deployments has been showcased with two significant global sporting events in 2018 – the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and the World Cup – demonstrating a robust set up capable of simultaneously serving DTV and UHD TV viewers using the same UHF antennas. 

South Korea’s UHD TV roll out plans:

RFS will add a further 30 UHD-capable antenna systems across 15 sites in 15 cities by 2021, with additional repeater sites deployed thereafter ahead of South Korea’s current DTV transmission being switched off in 2027. RFS is also set to expand its work in the region by rolling out its patented Variable Polarisation Technology (VPT) antennas systems in the future to support mobile delivery of UHD content in line with ATSC 3.0 standards. 

Gopal Naidu, VP Broadcast and Defence at RFS commented: “We pride ourselves on being at the forefront of broadcast innovation, so we’re excited to have played such a key role in a major project for the future of UHD TV. As the roll out continues, we look forward to helping South Korea become a pioneer of next-generation broadcasting.”

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Trademarks: RFS® is a trademark of Radio Frequency Systems. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About RFS
Radio Frequency Systems (RFS) is a global designer and manufacturer of cable, antenna and tower systems, plus active and passive RF conditioning modules, providing total-package solutions for wireless infrastructure. 
RFS serves OEMs, distributors, system integrators, operators and installers in the broadcast, wireless communications, land-mobile and microwave market sectors. As an ISO compliant organization with manufacturing and customer service facilities that span the globe, RFS offers cutting-edge engineering capabilities, superior field support and innovative product design. RFS is a leader in wireless infrastructure. 

For more information, visit www.rfsworld.com, or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/RFSworld

RFS Press Contact
Véronique de Fournoux                             
Communications Director
E-mail: Veronique.De_Fournoux@rfsworld.com        
Cell: +33 (0)6 08 56 94 30