Digital Media and the Role of Satellite

A Spacenet Whitepaper

Digital media applications, including digital signage, interactive distance learning, business TV and digital content distribution, are increasingly being used by retailers and businesses as a way to increase revenues, lower employee training costs, and improve efficiencies. Digital media is used by a variety of markets including retailers, quick service restaurants, financial services, and gas stations & convenience stores to provide in-store promotions, realtime information, digital menu boards, and employee training. It is also ideal for public spaces, including airports and malls, to entertain, inform and advertise through electronic displays. Digital Media has become a popular and effective way for businesses to advertise and sell their products and services. The initial implementation and ongoing maintenance costs often can be recouped through increased sales and third-party revenue from advertising.

A key component to any digital media solution is having a scaleable and dependable network in order to reach the intended audience. Many businesses begin by using common-carrier IP connections, including DSL or cable. However, these technologies are based on unicast (one-to-one communication). As the digital-media network expands from hundreds to thousands of locations, unicast is not an economical or scaleable solution. Satellite, on the other hand, is designed to support broadband and multicast (one-to-many communication) more efficiently than traditional IP unicast networks. It provides the ability to cost-effectively and rapidly deliver large volumes of content to multiple remote locations. This white paper provides an overview of trends in digital media and the role of satellite.