Colt connectivity services support TF1, France’s leading free-to-air broadcaster
The solution
An IP VPN Multi-Cloud solution connecting TF1 to its chosen public clouds, high-speed Ethernet Lines for connections to partner and satellite sites, and Dark Fibre connections to the company’s DR site.
Business drivers – why Colt connectivity?
TF1 needed a robust and scalable networking infrastructure that enables access to multiple public clouds, interconnects bandwidth-hungry hyper-converged systems, supports high-speed content transfer, and connects TF1 to its DR site if required.
The result
TF1 can access cloud-hosted systems, applications and data from any location; and transfer video content created at partner and satellite sites to its data centres for live streaming. And should an issue arise at its primary site, it can connect to its DR site to ensure business continuity.
Why Colt?
Over a 20-year partnership, Colt has responded to TF1’s evolving needs with a wide range of services. TF1 values the quality of service delivered, the guaranteed responsiveness from Colt, and its close and trusted relationship with the Colt teams
Business drivers – why Colt connectivity?
TF1 started broadcasting in 1975 and is today France’s leading free-to-air broadcaster. Its schedules span popular entertainment brands, prestige drama, news bulletins, major sporting events – and everything in between.
“The TV news attracts around 7 million viewers, and we can reach between 15 and 18 million people for a football or rugby World Cup final,” says Nicolas Ilnicka, TF1’s Director of Infrastructure, Cloud and Engineering. “When you do a live broadcast of an important event like a World Cup, you need a very high availability rate.”
With nine TV channels and its recently launched TF1+ streaming platform, the broadcaster offers many thousands of hours of content.
“Everyone’s watching more and more content. So my daily challenge is to ensure TF1 has robust infrastructures that can scale in line with needs and expectations,” says Nicolas.
What did TF1 need from its Colt solutions?
“I keep our technical and application systems operational every day, and I design and deploy infrastructure that best fits TV1’s business needs,” explains Nicolas.
He paints a picture of the evolution of TF1’s connectivity requirements, which Colt helps him to meet:
“We started developments to broadcast our video streams, we continued by building links to our disaster recovery site. And then, over the last two years, we’ve worked on interconnecting our public cloud solutions and our hyper-converged systems, which require very high-speed data exchange, and for which we use the Colt solution.”
To meet these diverse needs, Colt provides TF1 with a variety of connectivity services. “Colt supports us with fibre and Ethernet links as well as specialised connections,” says Nicolas.
Ethernet Lines (from 100Mbps to 10Gbps) allow the high-speed transfer of content from partner and satellite sites to TF1’s data centres for live broadcast. Colt Dark Fibre provides connectivity to the company’s DR site, where Colt IP Access assures internet connectivity.
And to connect TF1 to its chosen public clouds for system, application and data access, Colt developed an MPLS-based IP VPN Multi-Cloud solution.
“Colt was able to meet our expectations because their range of services is so extensive,” says Nicolas.
The Colt difference
The partnership with Colt started around 20 years ago. “We’ve developed a real trusted relationship with the Colt team,” says Nicolas. “Sometimes they even know more about our connections than we do – a real proof of trust.”
He appreciates the guaranteed rapid response he gets from Colt, which is tailored to TF1’s needs.
“I would recommend Colt for the close relationship they have with their customers and the quality provided by their services,” concludes Nicolas.
COMPANY NAME
TF1
INDUSTRY
Media / Audiovisual
CHALLENGE
TF1 needed a robust and scalable networking infrastructure
COLT SOLUTION
IP VPN Multi-Cloud
Ethernet Line
Dark Fibre
IP Access
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