AFRTS satellite contract awarded to T-Systems
The American Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization (DITCO) and headquarters of the American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) has awarded a new contract to T-Systems for TV and radio program distribution via satellite. Specialists from the company’s media and broadcasting division will set up and operate earth-based satellite stations in Mannheim, Germany, and Vicenza, Italy for broadcasting AFRTS programs.
Furthermore, the new contract now provides for using two transponders - instead of one - on the Hot Bird satellite system. This enables AFRTS to distribute up to 16 TV and 30 radio services all over Europe and in the Middle East as far as Kuwait. For 10 years now, T-Systems has been serving more than about 200,000 American military households or individual military members outside the USA direct via satellite for AFRTS.