In World War Two, mail (post) to and from troops in combat was a morale booster. However, it could take weeks, if not months, for news to reach its destination. It now takes seconds.
British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) is a military charity and media organisation that informs and connects the UK Armed Forces. It delivers secure news, sport, entertainment and information services to the military and their families worldwide under a £30 million MoD contract.
Its broadcast teams have specialist military knowledge and produce exclusive content for its News channels. Its commercial outlets, which provide income for the charity, span training, digital and creative services, as well as pioneering technology solutions that enable media and communications in the hardest-to-reach places. The BFBS Training Academy is staffed by ex-service personnel and has a three-year waiting list.
This year, BFBS celebrates the tenth anniversary of its MiPlayer platform, an innovative and powerful platform originally developed to keep UK Armed Forces connected to home and entertainment while they are serving in the most remote and hostile environments.
It also works with UK Defence Exports to promote the platform’s capabilities globally. MiPlayer utilises Geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites to deliver linear and on-demand services via Digital Video Broadcast (DVB).
What began in January 2016 has grown into one of BFBS’ most significant and far-reaching innovations, now operating across the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary fleets, operational Army and RAF bases, remote islands, and soon, even by cable on submarines.
In 2023, MiPlayer for overseas navies. MiPlayer delivered content to personal devices and televisions, with catch-up, when there was little or no internet available via the newly developed MiPlayer Set Top Box.
In 2023, BFBS announced a development partnership between MiPlayer Edge and Eutelsat OneWeb, unlocking new ways to deliver media services via Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites to the world’s most remote locations. MiPlayer Edge is now compatible with multiple LEO providers, including Starlink and Amazon Kuiper.
BFBS’s priority markets are NATO and the Five Eyes alliance, which comprises five countries, namely the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This intelligence-sharing network collaborates on security and surveillance efforts. BFBS has also recently appointed APC Technology as its partner in Australia.
by David Oliver
