SINGAPORE: This is a deal that takes broadcast technology in the continent to the next level. StarHub which claims to be Singapore's leading info-communication provider has announced that it has sealed a substantial contract with CNBC Asia Pacific.

The deal said to be worth millions of Singapore dollars allows the business and finance broadcaster CNBC Asia Pacific to provide 'live' video feeds from London, Hong Kong and Japan to Singapore through fibre/cable.

Managed globally through Arcstar Global ATM Service, CNBC Asia Pacific will transmit from its regional bureaux to its production centre in Singapore. A press release states that the signals which are transmitted are not susceptible to atmospheric conditions and local terrestrial interference.

Traditionally, broadcasters receive 'live' video content, reports and news through satellite services. With this implementation, CNBC Asia Pacific is one of the first broadcasters in the region to receive broadcast-quality footage from around the world to Asia-Pacific on ATM circuits states an official release.

CNBC Asia Pacific VP director of operations Peter Juno was quoted as saying: "With our move globally towards the provision of high-quality broadcast news in a timely fashion, CNBC leads the broadcast industry in Asia by offering 'live' transmission signals that are not adversely affected by factors such as the weather. The move towards a fibre network over the usual satellite feed, effectively lowers our broadcast overheads, allowing us to remain competitive in the Asian broadcast industry.

"StarHub's understanding and flexibility in customising a solution to meet our needs, has helped us tremendously in managing our business operations. They have shown commitment and expertise in both the data and broadcast industries, that it has given us the confidence to move towards more advanced broadcast technologies to ensure our viewers obtain their business news uninterrupted," Juno added.

StarHub is the exclusive provider of Arcstar services in Singapore. Arcstar Global ATM Service, available to over 20 countries, provides high-speed ATM connectivity for multimedia communications that integrate voice, data and video between major business centres worldwide. Arcstar Global ATM Service is a broadband service that supports ATM classes of service to transmit different applications at greater cost efficiency.

The release also adds that CNBC reaches over 188 million homes worldwide. In Asia, CNBC Asia Pacific, which is headquartered in Singapore, beams news daily via its seven channels, CNBC Asia, CNBC Australia, CNBC India, Nikkei-CNBC (Japan), MBN-CNBC (Korea), CNBC Singapore and CNBC Hong Kong, to 26 million homes across the region.