How we transmit

BFBS TV is transmitted via satellite from its broadcast centre in Buckinghamshire to HM Armed Forces around the world.

Satellite Eutelsat-W3A carries the two BFBS television channels alongside the carriage channels from Sky, Emap and the BBC. We have space for six, soon to be eight, channels. The receivable area for this signal extends from Iceland to North Africa, and from the Canaries to the Gulf. The dish required is in the 80cm-2m size range, depending on location (typically a 1.2m dish).
In addition BFBS uses Satellites NewSkies-NSS806 and NSS703 to transmit a lower-capacity feed to the Eastern United States and Canada, South America, the Atlantic Ocean, and West Africa. This service delivers the two BFBS television channels to BFBS programme centres in the area, and also to suitably equipped Naval and RFA ships. NSS806 also carries Sky News, which will be added in the East Atlantic area when NSS703 is replaced with a new satellite NSS8, due in 2006.
In order to protect our signal from unauthorised access, we encrypt the services with the Philips Cryptoworks encryption system. Only receiving stations with cards issued by us are able to access our broadcasts. At present some of those stations take the BFBS1 service and re-radiate it as a traditional analogue signal, with the full authority of the local frequency planning body, and the programme rights holders. All the other channels are only available on MoD owned/run secure cable TV systems, or to direct-to-home users.
We are actively migrating away from radiated broadcast, and are implementing all new systems under the W3A footprint as direct-to-home. This will increase programme choice and security at point of delivery, and allow much more accurate audience number monitoring, as we will remain the conditional-access card-issuing authority. In the NSS806/NSS703 service area, we are engaging in a programme of cabling the few bases that this beam serves.

BFBS1 & BFBS2
Transmission Regions

BFBS1 territories & means of reception for entitled British Forces Feb 04

Means of reception by country Afghanistan DTH & closed cable systems Ascension Island Low power analogue Band IV Transmission within base Belize Low power analogue Band IV Transmission within base Bosnia DTH & closed cable systems Canada (BATUS) Closed cable system Croatia DTH & closed cable systems Cyprus – all military bases Encrypted Terrestrial analogue Band IV Transmission, need decoder to receive. Secure. The Falkland Islands including all islanders Low power analogue Band III & IV Transmission Germany Low power analogue Band IV Transmission to Pal I standard, DTH set top boxes and closed cable systems Gibraltar Closed cable system Greece DTH Set top boxes Iraq DTH Set top boxes Italy (Naples) Closed cable system Kosovo DTH & closed cable systems Kuwait Closed cable system Macedonia DTH & closed cable systems Norway Closed cable system Oman Closed cable system Saudi Arabia Closed cable system HM Ships Direct satellite distribution

BFBS2 territories & means of reception for entitled British Forces Feb 04

Means of reception by country Afghanistan DTH & closed cable systems Bosnia DTH & closed cable systems Croatia DTH & closed cable systems Cyprus – U.N. Nicosia/Green Line only DTH & closed cable systems Falkland Islands Low power analogue Band IV Transmission within base Iraq DTH & closed cable systems Kosovo DTH & closed cable systems Kuwait DTH & closed cable systems Macedonia DTH & closed cable systems Oman DTH & closed cable systems Qatar DTH & closed cable systems HM Ships Encrypted satellite distribution