Broadcasters test SES hybrid Ku-band and RIST to replace C-band

The shift away from C-band distribution replacement forces a fundamental redesign of the broadcast primary distribution tier. By moving toward hybrid satellite-IP models, networks are trading the 'gold-plated' reliability of dedicated spectrum for a more complex, software-defined stack involving RIST and cloud orchestration. This transition creates a significant CapEx-to-OpEx shift that the FCC may not fully compensate, potentially disadvantaging terrestrial-only vendors. As European markets like the UK and Denmark move toward a post-broadcast IP future by 2034, the global industry must solve for latency and prominence in a fragmented delivery environment. Watch for the FCC's final ruling on whether hybrid Ku-band systems qualify as 'substantially similar' for transition funding.

SES has been actively positioning its multi-orbit satellite fleet as a bridge for broadcasters facing spectrum transitions. In June 2026, Ericsson launched its AI in RAN commercial software subscription claiming up to 20% higher downlink throughput across more than 15 live deployments, signaling that network infrastructure vendors are accelerating automation to handle the growing complexity of hybrid delivery architectures that combine satellite, IP, and cloud layers. The RIST protocol, which underpins the hybrid model discussed at IBC 2026, has gained traction as a low-latency transport layer for live video contribution and distribution, with SES promoting it alongside Ku-band capacity as a path to maintain broadcast-grade reliability without dedicated C-band spectrum.

The business case for hybrid distribution is being shaped by regulatory timelines and cloud economics. Nokia's recent infrastructure partnerships illustrate how telco and broadcast ecosystems are converging on cloud-native architectures. In June 2026, Nokia announced work with AWS and Databricks to build data, cloud, and control layers for autonomous networks, claiming operators are already achieving automation rates above 90% and service delivery times of four hours or less. While Nokia's focus is telco operations, the same cloud orchestration patterns are being adopted by broadcast distribution platforms. AWS, mentioned as a key player in the IBC 2026 discussions, is positioning itself as the compute layer for broadcasters migrating away from dedicated satellite transponders toward software-defined distribution, a shift that converts fixed satellite lease costs into variable cloud spend.

Technical benchmarks for hybrid satellite-IP delivery remain a critical concern for broadcasters evaluating C-band alternatives. Nokia's mobile core team has demonstrated that agentic AI can reduce certain network task completion times from approximately 10 seconds to one or two seconds, illustrating the kind of latency optimization that broadcast distribution platforms will need to match C-band's near-instantaneous failover characteristics. The divergence between vendors on AI-driven network approaches, with Nokia building its RAN strategy on Nvidia GPU acceleration while Ericsson pursues incremental software-based intelligence, mirrors the broader industry split between those favoring hardware-accelerated processing for video transport and those betting on software-defined flexibility. For broadcasters, the choice between these architectures will determine whether hybrid Ku-band and RIST systems can deliver the five-nines availability that C-band has historically provided.