GatesAir secures next phase of Bangladesh’s HD Radio rollout
Published: ASIA
BANGLADESH: GatesAir has been awarded the contract for phase two of Bangladesh’s national HD radio rollout. The turnkey system comprises two self-contained FM radio stations with GatesAir Flexiva FAX air-cooled 10kW FM transmitters, antenna systems and all auxiliary and support equipment. Bangladesh Betar, the only national government broadcaster serving Bangladesh, awarded the contract as the first phase of the GatesAir-supported rollout is ongoing. The initial phase, which covers the capital city of Dhaka and also includes two GatesAir Flexiva FAX 10kW transmitters, is targeted for completion by the end of this year. The second phase will cover the populated cities of Mymensingh and Gopalganj, with an expected on-air date of June 2017. Both projects are especially notable as the first HD Radio deployments in South Asia.
GatesAir’s ability to also provide turnkey services helped to cement the phase two contract win, according to A.K.A.M. Fazlul Hoque, project director at Bangladesh Betar Engineering. Along with site planning, design, integration and commissioning services, GatesAir will reportedly continue to provide extensive training services around system operation and transmitter maintenance both in Bangladesh and at its Illinois-based manufacturing centre.
‘GatesAir’s professional services, reliable systems architecture and high-efficiency transmitters provide value across the project duration, and will enable us to operate a cost-efficient, low-maintenance hybrid FM and HD Radio service for a large portion of our population for many years,’ said Mr Hoque. ‘GatesAir’s bandwidth-rich HD Radio platform will also allow us to add more audio channels and data services in the future without requiring any significant additional investment in resources. Above all, their detailed planning and quick turnaround are consistent with our scheduled rollout plan. We also appreciated them welcoming Mr Ahmed and Mr Bhuiyan to tour the GatesAir manufacturing centre to confirm product quality assurance and further strengthen the relationship between GatesAir, Bangladesh Betar and the Bangladesh Government.’