WLEX-TV goes live from Dejero CellSat

Dejero’s network blending technology enabled the Lexington-based broadcaster to deliver consistent coverage of the Music City Bowl event from Nashville to 40 counties across central Kentucky

In December last year, WLEX-TV covered the Music City Bowl, a post-season American college football fixture that takes place annually in Nashville.

Providing WLEX-TV with enhanced connectivity is the Dejero CellSat, a joint solution that leverages Dejero’s network blending technology by combining cellular connectivity from multiple network carriers with Ku-band IP satellite connectivity from Intelsat.

Sam Gordon, operations manager for WLEX-TV, elaborated: “Although the Nissan Stadium in downtown Nashville usually has solid connectivity available, we figured that, with somewhere around 70,000 fans, the cell networks could get overloaded, so we needed a backup. CellSat gave us the extra confidence that we wouldn’t lose connectivity during a live shot.

“It worked perfectly for our operator. Back at the station, we couldn’t tell whether the video was coming in via satellite or cell; the picture quality was that good. The latency was also just like any other cellular shot that we have done.”

As part of the Cordillera Communications Group, WLEX-TV, the NBC affiliate in Lexington, Kentucky, USA, is a local station broadcasting seven hours of live programming a day and covering 40 counties across central Kentucky.

For the coverage of the Music City Bowl, WLEX-TV installed the Dejero CellSat in a Chevrolet Traverse SUV. With this installation, WLEX-TV is able to convert the SUV into a mobile remote production facility, said Dejero. Additionally, WLEX-TV installed Dejero’s cloud-based management system to allow operators located in the studio to remotely control transmitters in the field, monitor and route incoming video feeds, and view performance data.

“With Dejero CellSat on-board, unlike a traditional satellite newsgathering (SNG) truck set-up, there is no need to bring in specialist operators or pre-arrange a satellite slot,” Gordon concluded. “You simply put up the dish in case it’s needed, and it connects on demand — and only when the cellular signal alone isn’t strong enough.”