SIS LIVE is relocating its teleport operations from London to Manchester as part of its wider move out of the capital.

The facilities provider’s Salford teleport operation, which is expected to be operational by August, will boost the range of services it offers.

Its London teleport site will be decommissioned by October this year.

“Rather than replicate what we have in London, we have invested in a far larger teleport with room for expansion, which will allow for additional revenue,” managing director David Meynell told Broadcast.

The London operation has four main antennas, ranging in size from 3.5 metres to 5 metres.

In comparison, the Manchester facility, on the Trafford side of the canal opposite MediaCityUK, will host nine main antennas, with room for expansion.

The antennas, which are up to 9 metres in size, will operate in the Ku, Ka, C and DBS bands.

Meynell said that the 8.1 metre Ka band antenna - which SIS LIVE does not have in London - would be suited to SNG operations.

He said: “[The Ka band] is not used significantly in the UK for newsgathering at the moment; historically there was a lot of Ku band available, and that has been the main band for newsgathering, but Ka capacity is cheaper.”

Meynell said he envisaged the Manchester facility being used for sports contracts.

One of the larger antennas is already earmarked for use by parent company SIS for the distribution of horse-racing content to some 10,000 bookmakers.

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