MUMBAI: Level 3 Communications which provides broadband network services has announced that it has been selected by US pay TV platform DirecTV to help provide the backbone solution, consisting of bandwidth and data center services.

This will enable the expansion of DirecTV's High Definition Television (HDTV) services. Under the agreement, Level 3 will upgrade and augment the DirecTV backbone to support and aggregate HDTV signals from local markets for rebroadcast to DirecTV customers. Level 3 has worked with DirecTV since 1999 and currently provides a substantial portion of DirecTV's existing private line backbone that supports its standard definition television (SDTV) services.

DirecTV, which claims to be America's leading digital television service provider, will roll out hundreds of local and national HDTV channels over the next few years. Level 3's high-speed nationwide long-haul and metro private line backbone, wavelength services and reliable colocation facilities in key markets will provide the physical-layer redundancy, low latency, and scalability to support DirecTV's aggressive expansion plans.

DirecTV's Castle Rock Broadcast Center VP and GM Don Jones says, "Level 3 offers the network diversity and scalability, responsiveness and comprehensive service suite that will accommodate our aggressive expansion
plans. Collaborating with Level 3 to help design our HDTV network ensures that we will be able to offer our customers the highest quality HDTV services available."