Skyline Communications and Lutech Spa to roll out SDN-controlled media network for Rai Way
08 June 2022
At the outcome of the related public tender, Rai Way, the leading Italian network infrastructure and services operator, has selected Lutech Spa and its partner Skyline Communications for the rollout of their new IP video and audio contribution and distribution network.
Leveraging the flexibility offered by a full-IP software-defined media network orchestrated by DataMiner, Rai Way has implemented a completely new contribution infrastructure for their video and audio network. This includes a transformation to IP video transport and switching over a quadruple redundant network for optimum reliability, supporting both compressed and uncompressed SMPTE ST-2110 and ST-2022-6/7 signals. Services can be easily cross-connected and routed in multiple ways by Rai Way operators, using the intuitive DataMiner software control surfaces.
The overall solution is being deployed in sync with the Italian DVB network frequency refarming and DVB-T2 switchover program, which imposes a hard project deadline scheme.
Together with Lutech Spa as Rai Way’s Prime Integrator, Skyline delivered an open solution in which a Cisco and Arista converged all-IP infrastructure are working in parallel, hereby optimizing uptime to the highest standards. In this system, DataMiner is not just the SDN service orchestrator and management system acting as IP matrix; it actually manages services end to end, including all media edge devices and compressed signals in the DTT/DTH equipment.
“The project for Rai Way has been a very interesting one, and we are proud that they have deployed DataMiner not only as SDN service orchestrator, but also within other projects that source and consume data from the IP matrix, such as the management of video headends,” said Bart Reynaert, key account manager at Skyline. “They have leveraged DataMiner as an overarching management system, giving full observability on and control over all vital parts of the media supply chain. The project required to be able not only to deliver around the clock, but also to deliver the quality and reliability associated with this kind of infrastructure. Moreover, the solution needed the resiliency and security grade this industry requires. Skyline/DataMiner can deliver all of this, to enable and support its customers’ digital transformation, facilitating their technology, but also empowering them to collaborate across the value chain.”
“Lutech Spa is honored to have been selected as the prime integrator for the Rai Way all-IP video matrix project,” commented Aurelio Severino, senior account manager at Lutech Spa. “Lutech’s main project task was to integrate IP network technologies, such as Cisco and Arista, with broadcasting-grade A/V systems supplied by best-of-breed vendors, such as Imagine and Enensys, and have all solution components nicely orchestrated and managed by Skyline’s DataMiner platform. Skyline engineering and development teams have been working around the clock to match the strict project time plans, dynamically adapting the solution according to Rai Way requirements in a very timely, flexible and agile fashion.”
