Multiseñal, the largest MMDS operator in Uruguay, has just started its MMDS digital transmission. The company has been operating an MMDS system for 15 years in Montevideo, capital of Uruguay, and in the adjacent urban and rural areas.

The system has been transmitting 15 analog channels and is now adding three digital carriers with up to 12 TV programs in each 64 QAM transport stream.

The system upgrade has been implemented by transmitting the digital signals via a broadband transmitter from Cable AML, which complements the existing bank of channelized analog transmitters.

The transition from analog to digital has been initiated by offering a package of 33 digital programs to the same subscriber base, while continuing transmission of the same package of 15 analog channels.

The robustness of the digital signal transmitted allowed a large number of customers to make the switch from analogue to an auto-installed digital set top box. Customers picked up the digital STB and connected it themselves. This enabled a fast and inexpensive way to swap boxes.

According to Fernando Heredia, Project Engineer, “The transition took place smoothly as the Cable AML transmitter is very easy to connect and operate. Subscribers are now enjoying excellent image quality and a much wider range of options programming.”