The new remote monitoring service complements GatesAir Care’s existing preventative maintenance offerings, enhancing uptime and operational efficiency for TV and radio broadcasters.
GatesAir has introduced AirWatch365, a 24/7 network operations centre (NOC)-based remote monitoring service designed to enhance its GatesAir Care programme. This new service supplements existing preventative maintenance offerings for TV and radio broadcasters, ensuring improved transmitter performance, proactive issue resolution and enhanced uptime.
GatesAir initially launched its expanded managed services programme last April to address the global shortage of skilled RF professionals and to optimise operational efficiency for broadcasters. The programme includes service level agreements across three-tiered support plans—Elite, Signature and Standard—providing broadcasters with factory-trained engineers to assist with RF system maintenance and support.
Broadcasters subscribing to AirWatch365 will gain direct access to GatesAir service engineers based at the company’s Quincy manufacturing centre. Following a comprehensive RF infrastructure assessment, the GatesAir team will establish customised alarm thresholds for factors such as power levels and modulation error ratios. Engineers will continuously monitor system performance to identify trends, preempt potential issues and swiftly transition into troubleshooting mode when necessary. AirWatch365 is compatible with GatesAir’s full range of TV and radio transmitters, including both air-cooled and liquid-cooled models.
Raymond Miklius, Vice President of Technology, GatesAir, said: “One year in, GatesAir Care has been proven to help customers that lack the internal human resources required to service an increasingly complex RF infrastructure. That complexity will escalate as we inch closer to the reality of ATSC 3.0 single-frequency networks that will introduce a collective of synchronized low-power sites throughout a market, many of which will still include a central site with a high-power ATSC 1.0 service. There is also a greater density of FM sites as more translators and SFNs come to fruition. Through AirWatch365, our experienced, dedicated support staff will provide consistent, proactive and responsive service tailored to each customer’s needs, which includes the increased presence of IT technologies in TV and FM systems.”
The GatesAir Care programme offers an extensive suite of services within each tier, including extended warranties, discounted spare parts, technical training and preventative maintenance. Planned site visits help maintain optimal transmitter and RF system performance, while AirWatch365 adds an extra layer of assurance with continuous remote monitoring. Additional services such as installation, commissioning, and onsite technical support for major broadcast events are also available within the program’s tiered structure.
