WTA Announces the 2014 Independent Teleport Operator of the Year and Teleport Technology of the Year

Washington, DC, March 11, 2014 – The World Teleport Association (WTA) today announced the winners of the 19th Teleport Awards for Excellence during an exclusive luncheon at Satellite 2014. The awards are presented each year to organizations and individuals in the teleport industry whose achievements have been deemed exceptional by the international trade association and its awards committees, made up of industry members from across the globe.

The 2014 recipients are:

Independent Teleport Operator of the Year: Arqiva. Arqiva, the communications infrastructure and media services company, operates at the heart of the broadcast, satellite, and mobile communications markets. The company is at the forefront of network solutions and services in the digital world. Arqiva provides much of the infrastructure behind television, radio, satellite, and wireless communications in the UK and has a significant presence in Ireland, mainland Europe and the USA. Customers include major broadcasters such as the BBC, ITV, BSkyB and the independent radio groups, major telco providers including UK’s five mobile network operators, and the emergency services. Arqiva is now a four-time recipient of the Independent Teleport Operator of the Year Award, having won the award in 2003, 2007, and 2011.

Teleport Technology of the Year: SapphireBlu HPA from Advantech Wireless. Featuring high power density in a compact, rugged and weatherproof package, the SapphireBlu series of UltraLinear GaN technology based SSPAs and BUCs are the ultimate Solution for DTH TV. With considerable reduction and size, weight, and energy consumption the new SapphireBlu Series of SSPIA and BUCs provide high power, high reliability and low intermod distortions. From one antenna, one HPA is able to simultaneously transmit to all transponders of a specific satellite, regular or extended bands. 

The winners were selected by a volunteer committee of WTA members and previous Award winners based on nominations submitted during the first quarter of 2014.

In addition to the above honorees, WTA presented the previously announced Teleport Executive of the Year Award to Avi Cohen, CEO of RRsat. Click here to read more about Avi Cohen.

The 2014 Luncheon and Awards Ceremony, sponsored by SES, hosted many of the world’s leading teleport operators and previous winners of WTA’s Teleport Awards for Excellence. Mark Rathert, General Manager, Ground Operations (US) for SES, gave the host’s welcome to the guests and finalists at the luncheon. He then joined WTA’s Director of Development Louis Zacharilla and WTA's Chairman, M. Brett Belinsky, to announce the winners.

Commenting on the 2014 Awards, WTA’s Director of Development Louis Zacharilla said, “WTA is proud to honor Arqiva, Advantech Wireless, and Avi Cohen at the 19th annual Teleport Awards. Each of the recipients represents excellence in an industry that continues to achieve excellence globally. They are the standard which we all admire and attempt to achieve.”