HITRON Ltd. of Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, upgraded its 31-channel analog system to a digital system with 100 channel capability.The switch from analog to digital followed installation of an integrated digital headend and broadband, dual-redundant MMDS transmitters. The independent country of Papua New Guinea lies on the mineral rich island of New Guinea. The signal from the headend at Port Moresby feeds part of the city. On-frequency repeaters carry the signal to several remote areas.

Careful planning and execution of the switch over minimized disruption to any of the more than 10,000 system subscribers. The digital performance of the system, including the repeaters, was tested by transmitting a single 6 MHz digital carrier with the analog signals.The headend and the CAS were installed and commissioned prior to selecting a switchover date. Several thousand digital Set Top Boxes were distributed to customers. System Manager Anne AMES set up four outdoor PC stations, an outdoor conainer store and an overhead tarp. Twelve assistants answered queries and assisted customers with channel package selection. Demand for the improved service caused customers to wait in line as long as 2 hours but the average wait was only 30 minutes. The digital take-up rate has been huge. According to HITRON’s Chief Operating Officer, Lindsay Jorgensen, “Cable AML’s system was crucial to the successful deployment of a state-of-the-art digital system that will enable our company to be at the forefront of high quality video service providers in Papua New Guinea for years to come.”