RAYMOND, Maine—Dielectric and Philippines partner 90 Degrees North said they have been working to extend the digital television service for BEAM (Broadcast Enterprises and Affiliated Media) beyond Mega Manila to cover secondary and tertiary cities.
The second phase of the expansion deployed complete ISDB-Tb Powerlite antenna systems with filters and flex transmission line to the major metropolitan regions like Cebu and Davao over the past 18 months, with subsequent shipments to cover the secondary emerging cities of Baguio, Naga, Ilo-ilo, Laguna, Batangas, General Santos and Zamboanga over the past year.
Dielectric also reported that it has now shipped Powerlite turnkey antenna systems for 2.4 kW to 5 kW low-power sites in the cities of Legazpi and Cagayan De Oro, bringing the third phase of the project closer to completion. Once installed and commissioned, BEAM will officially strengthen DTV service in Southern Luzon complementary to Naga, and offer DTV service to Northern Mindanao.
In addition, the two companies reported that BEAM’s DTV network expansion will continue as its programming extends into new cities, marking a fourth phase of the project.
90 Degrees North owner John Achilles “Achie” Denna said the network will reach up to 30 cities by the end of this phase, which will be completed in mid-to-late December.
“These are full-service projects that begin with RF network planning and constructing new or rehabilitating existing cabins/shelters. That is followed by electrical system installation, retrofitting of towers, and then installing transmitters and filters in the shelters,” said Achie Denna, who adds that site development accounts for “60 to 70%” of each project. “Dielectric has been nothing short of exceptional with aligning their manufacturing and delivery timelines to my installation schedules, which conclude with running line, adding antenna mounts and support, and installing the antennas.”
The project started in 2018 with the Mega Manila system, anchored by a TFU-WB UHF antenna for the UHF Channel 31 single-frequency network (SFN), with low-power DLP and TLP single-channel antennas filling out the flagship network. BEAM relays programming from Mega Manila to UHF Channel 31 frequencies in Cebu, Davao and Zamboanga; Channel 26 in Baguio and Iloilo; and Channel 32 in Naga. The General Santos transmission operates on Channel 51 with Dielectric Powerlite TLP antennas to radiate signals.
“With assistance from our partners at PROGIRA and using their market-leading RF Network Planning Software, we have optimized coverage patterns and areas, performance and efficiency through three specific design elements,” said Cory Edwards, OEM, distribution and Southeast Asia sales manager at Dielectric. “All antenna designs feature elliptical polarization to improve ISDB-Tb penetration into buildings and homes, the majority of which have concrete metal roofing. That added vertical element also strengthens coverage to mobile devices. We chose slotted antenna designs to reduce tower loads and streamline installation, and provided simple tunable coaxial filter designs with patch panels, components and loads that fit comfortably next to the transmitters. That is especially important in shelters that share rental space.”
Achie Denna added that Dielectric’s market share in the Philippines continues to rise as the country’s DTV transition moves forward, which includes a nearly wholesale shift from VHF to UHF frequencies. “Dielectric has captured approximately 35-40 percent of the digital TV transition business here in the Philippines to date, and we expect the DTV transition to continue through the year 2030," he said.
More information can be accessed at www.dielectric.com.
