[09-20-07 – Satellite Today]  Arqiva, the U.K.-based satellite solutions company, received a contract to help launch the BBC’s free-to-air digital TV platform, dubbed Freesat, by March, Arqiva announced Sept. 18.

Under the contract, Arqiva will provide the BBC with an end-to-end distribution solution for the platform management data, which will have fully-redundant back up across dual teleports. In order to provide this network, Arqiva will implement multiple circuits between two key teleports and the BBC broadcast centers in London.

Freesat is a similar service to the digital terrestrial TV service Freeview and will target households unable to receive the terrestrial offering.