Next Generation STL Options: Improving Resiliency While Reducing Cost

Wed., August 5 • 3:30-4:30 PM
Location: Crown Palm/Banyan
Speaker(s): Kirk Harnack, MaxxKonnect; Scott Michaels, Heartland Video Systems (HVS)

Categories: Radio/TV Managers & Tech

As broadcasters’ transition toward IP-based operations and increasingly distributed workflows, Studio-to-Transmitter Link (STL) technologies are rapidly evolving beyond traditional microwave and leased-line architectures.

This session explores the latest “next generation” STL options available to radio and television broadcasters, including IP transport, cloud-enabled delivery, bonded cellular, fiber, satellite alternatives, and hybrid redundancy models.

In addition to improving operational flexibility and resiliency, modern STL strategies can significantly reduce infrastructure, maintenance, and recurring connectivity costs. Attendees will gain insight into how broadcasters are leveraging public internet transport, cloud services, virtualization, and scalable IP networking to lower capital expenditures and simplify long-term operations.

The session will examine real-world deployment considerations including reliability, latency, redundancy, security, scalability, and disaster recovery, while comparing the operational and financial tradeoffs of modern STL approaches.

Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how emerging STL technologies can support more efficient, cost-effective, and future-ready broadcast infrastructures.