NAB 2019 Reflections: CenturyLink's Derek Anderson on Expanding Cloud-Based Media and Services Vyvx Cloud Connect now includes Google Cloud; Streamroot is new partner By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor
Thursday, April 18, 2019 - 12:35 pm
Print This Story
Story Highlights
With the recently acquired Level 3 Communications fully integrated into the company portfolio, CenturyLink made a series of announcements at NAB 2019 expanding its cloud-based media and OTT services. The Vyvx suite of fiber-based broadcast services is integrated with Google Cloud Platform (GCP). In addition, a global agreement with Streamroot provides peer-to-peer networking solutions that can be used in combination with CenturyLink's content-delivery network (CDN); called CenturyLink CDN Mesh Delivery, the platform leverages a software-based mesh network to easily manage peak traffic loads. The company's portfolio of cloud connectivity and services also now includes IBM Cloud Object Storage platform.
At the show, SVG sat down with CenturyLink Principal Solutions Architect Derek Anderson to discuss the NAB announcements, the rising demand for 100-Gbps infrastructures, the impact of at-home production on the transmission sector, and the evolving role of CenturyLink's recently launched 53-ft. expando transmission trailer.
CenturyLink's Derek Anderson: What we're doing now is focusing on the underlying infrastructure. We are continuing to build up our fully owned fiber infrastructure into sports venues.
What are CenturyLink's big announcements here at NAB 2019?
First, we announced that we've expanded our Vyvx Cloud Connect offering, which we launched last year with AWS, to include Google Cloud. The [platform] connects our Vyvx video-infrastructure network directly with major cloud providers, now including Google Cloud. That could be a direct contribution feed from sports venues, managed 100% privately with GCP for processing, encoding, packaging, archiving, and anything else you might need. In another use case, as more master-control functions are moving into the cloud, you can also acquire content going out of GCP and then support the distribution to OTT providers on a full-time basis.
Second, on the CDN side, we've partnered with Streamroot to create peer-to-peer networking solutions that can be used in combination with our CDN. Essentially, the platform combines the CDN and a mesh network to intelligently manage the video content. We see that as being really key to enabling rapid scalability for big live events for over-the-top delivery.
Third is the addition of IBM Cloud Object Storage. We now have a massively scalable object-storage platform that connects directly into our CDN for large-scale content delivery and management.
What has the reaction been to the Vyvx Cloud Connect platform since you launched it last September at IBC?
I think we've seen an extremely high demand thus far because of the cloud economics of I want it now or I want it yesterday. I see that appetite and the timeline for building new cloud-based workflows only accelerating. That connects nicely back to our underlying control systems for real-time services, which Vyvx has always done. With that underlying infrastructure and connectivity in place and now AWS and GCP added to the equation, we can [blend] services, and we're leveraging the control systems we've had in place for a while.
I think there is a ton of experimentation in terms of what's possible in the cloud for new workflows. There are established workflows for getting compressed video to the cloud, encoding and pushing that out to our CDN. But, when you get into the more bleeding-edge virtualized production workflows and origination playout, I think there's still a lot of work yet to be done. But, from our standpoint as the on-ramp and off-ramp to put those environments in place, we're open for business.
Are you seeing the demand for 100-Gbps connectivity rising in the live-sports-transmission sector, and what are CenturyLink's plans when it comes to 100 gig?
Our first official foray into 100-Gbps architectures was for the U-21 UEFA Championships in Europe in 2017. We supported 100-Gbps backhaul for the Final from Poland to London for BT Sport: two diverse 100-gig infrastructures supporting uncompressed UHD backhaul. That was definitely positioned as a proof-of-concept technology trial, but it worked very well.
What we're doing now is focusing on the underlying infrastructure to support that. As we have been doing for a number of years, we are continuing to build up our fully owned fiber infrastructure into sports venues. About 75% of all pro U.S. sports venues are physically connected on our infrastructure. In terms of the economics, we see that as being the critical foundation for enabling ultra-high bandwidth architectures.
On our roadmap for this year, we're partnering with a few industry players to test out 100 Gbps. We're looking to [transmit] fully uncompressed native-IP [signals] out of the cameras and using that for [at-home] or distributed production workflows. Although we are not announcing any in terms of 100 Gbps, I think we will have some exciting news later on in the year.
What do you see as the primary drivers for the rising demand for 100 Gbps?
It's driven by [increased demand for] 4K. In the last one to two years, I think we've seen 4K [go] from very niche to nearly mainstream for big events, especially sports. We're past the point of asking, is this going to be another 3D? The demand for 4K is definitely on the uptick, so that is going to drive the need for increased capacity.
And then, obviously, the move to native-IP workflows and the [approval of the] SMPTE ST 2110 suite of standards will have a major impact. When you think about doing native uncompressed
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
07/07/2026
Berklee College of Music Alum and Faculty Perform at Boston Public Library's...
06/07/2026
Long-developed relationships and informal access, three production models, and c...
06/07/2026
The deal follows Lumine's recent acquisition of Synamedia's video-networ...
06/07/2026
This former SportsCenter producer is shaping local-team studio coverage to surro...
06/07/2026
IMS Productions and FOX Sports deployed more than 100 cameras, 32 onboard feeds,...
06/07/2026
Lumine Group Inc. has announced the completion of its acquisition of the Video Network Business from Synamedia. The business will operate as a standalone compan...
06/07/2026
NASCAR has announced a content and commercial partnership with Motorsport Network, a motorsports and automotive media platform, to distribute NASCAR original co...
06/07/2026
Versant Media Group has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Full Swing, a sports technology company, from Bruin Capital and a group of minority investor...
06/07/2026
DAZN has announced global broadcast rights to 3ICE, a professional hockey format featuring three skaters and a goalkeeper per side, with no power plays or offsi...
06/07/2026
Bundle gains 100 new synths & more
Synth Anthology 5 the largest and most feature-packed edition of UVI's hardware synth emulation bundle, bringing toge...
06/07/2026
Available now via free firmware update
MOTU have just announced that three of their popular audio interfaces now boast official Milan Certification. The 16A...
06/07/2026
Rohde & Schwarz completes Hunter Preliminary Design Review for the Integrated Co...
06/07/2026
The R&S IMAGER from Rohde & Schwarz uses millimeter wave imaging to inspect the ...
06/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
06/07/2026
Digital Domain Appoints Industry Veteran Patrick Davenport as Executive Vice Pre...
06/07/2026
Gravity Media USA appoints Brittney Boston as Head of Business Development
Brie Clayton July 6, 2026
0 Comments
The strategic new appointment supports...
06/07/2026
Remote Editing Without Cloud Storage in Resolve
Michael Cioni July 6, 2026
0 Comments
This is a step-by-step guide that demonstrates how to setup your...
06/07/2026
Automatic Caption Translation in Adobe Premiere Pro
Colin Smith July 6, 2026
0 Comments
Here I showcase the innovative automatic caption translation f...
06/07/2026
Flavor's First Ever Managing Director Neal Cohen Retires; Longstanding Execu...
06/07/2026
How Adam Rosenwach Pivoted from Music to Medtech Without Missing a Beat What do the rehearsal room and the boardroom have in common? More than you might think...
06/07/2026
Zhongyi Optics unveils the Dreamy Zone T1 FF Cine Lens Series on Indiegogo with ...
06/07/2026
Techtel debuts insyght: making ST 2110 media discovery easy
intellisphereinsyght2026
6 July Written By Suzanne Costello
Sydney, Australia - 06 July 2026 T...
06/07/2026
Monday 6 July 2026
Sky agrees to acquire ITV Media & Entertainment, creating a ...
06/07/2026
Fresh from his World Cup heroics with Cabo Verde, Roberto Pico' Lopes will join the RT panel for Argentina v Egypt tomorrow and for the England v Norway q...
06/07/2026
Nations have long invested in domestic infrastructure to advance their economies, protect and use their data, and take advantage of technology opportunities in ...
06/07/2026
Every year, the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML) reveals where thousands of AI researchers have decided to put their work.
This year's ...
06/07/2026
A death can be unsuspicious, but it has to be explained
What happened to Ke...
05/07/2026
We've gone to another level of integrating the graphics into the set architecture' - Zac Fields, SVP, Graphic Technology and Integration, FOX Sports...
05/07/2026
Browser-based and desktop apps available
Digital Sunset Studios have been busy working on an interesting project: a free software tool that provides compute...
04/07/2026
When Canada qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026, OneSoccer knew this wasn'...
04/07/2026
Celebrates company's 80th anniversary
Rhodes have recently revealed that they will be producing a limited run of electric pianos in celebration of their...
04/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Cameras Empower Youth Broadcasting Program
Brie Clayton July 3, 2026
0 Comments
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro and Blackmagi...
04/07/2026
iZotope Joins Boris FX
Boris Yamnitsky July 3, 2026
0 Comments
iZotope, the team behind RX and Ozone, is joining Boris FX. A letter from founder Boris...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
03/07/2026
New bundle & three Single Packs
Continuing to expand their already sizeable orchestral collection, VSL's latest release introduces three new Single Pack...
03/07/2026
Venue installs new ATC-equipped control room
LSO St Luke's, a unique music venue that also serves as the home of the London Symphony Orchestra, have rec...
03/07/2026
Caden Pearson appointed new Commissioning Editor for NITV
3 July, 2026
Media releases
National Indigenous Television (NITV) has strengthened its commitment...
03/07/2026
1 February 2023
SHARE Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email
Munich, Germany, 1st February 2023: Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software technology for digit...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Death Star
Andy Marken July 2, 2026
0 Comments
Look, I can't get involved. I've got work to do. It's not that I like the Empire; I hate i...
03/07/2026
Berklee's New Visual Identity: Honoring Our History, Building for What's...
03/07/2026
Scripps Research scientists awarded $2M to advance global disease surveillance Two Gates Foundation grants will expand wastewater surveillance and AI-driven dis...
03/07/2026
Joan Pulupa joins Scripps Research faculty to study the organization of DNA in brain cells and its links to neurodegeneration Using smell-sensing neurons and ad...
02/07/2026
Entering her senior year, this hometown girl is paving a career in live sports production gaining experience in replay and audio and as a TD
In the live-sports...
NAB 2019 Reflections: CenturyLink's Derek Anderson on Expanding Cloud-Based Media and Services Vyvx Cloud Connect now includes Google Cloud; Streamroot is new partner By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor 
