RiseStar
February 28th, 2008, 06:12 PM
Similar to its security upgrade in July 2005, Canada’s leading satellite broadcaster, Bell Expressvu is in the process of a new signal security upgrade in an effort to curtail its’ rampant piracy problem.
Bell Expressvu utilizes equipment and signal encryption technology manufactured by Echostar, the U.S.’s second largest digital satellite broadcaster. Echostar’s Dish Network has been plagued by piracy issues for many years, despite numerous expensive attempts to resolve the problem. This has lead to widespread piracy issues for Bell Expressvu due to the similarity in technology. Recent estimates peg more than 2 million pirates are currently receiving Dish Network and Bell Expressvu programming without payment.
The Bell Expressvu satellite signal is encrypted, allowing only authorized users, such as subscribers to decode the signal and allow them to view the channels that they are subscribing to. Signal pirates exploit vulnerabilities in the encryption technology, including the satellite access card, which uniquely identifies a subscriber to the satellite network to “unlock” the encryption without authorization.
To combat this, once it becomes obvious that the signal encryption technology has been compromised, the satellite broadcaster must upgrade their “conditional access” technology, usually requiring a software upgrade to subscribers receivers in addition to a replacement “access card”.
Bell Expressvu has already begun to upgrade subscriber’s receivers in preparation for the new access card which will begin mailing to subscribers shortly. Once the subscriber receives their new access card, they simply remove the old card from their receiver (if equipped), insert the new access card and follow the on-screen instructions, activating it either online or via a toll free phone number. Certain Bell Expressvu receivers may have an empty card slot, in which case, the new access card slides in and the identical activation procedure takes place. To ensure the new access card is updated in short order, once mailed to subscribers, the old access card will be automatically disabled with a short period of time.
Bell Expressvu states the new card activation procedure will take 15 minutes to 2 hours for programming to return to normal.
Bell Expressvu utilizes equipment and signal encryption technology manufactured by Echostar, the U.S.’s second largest digital satellite broadcaster. Echostar’s Dish Network has been plagued by piracy issues for many years, despite numerous expensive attempts to resolve the problem. This has lead to widespread piracy issues for Bell Expressvu due to the similarity in technology. Recent estimates peg more than 2 million pirates are currently receiving Dish Network and Bell Expressvu programming without payment.
The Bell Expressvu satellite signal is encrypted, allowing only authorized users, such as subscribers to decode the signal and allow them to view the channels that they are subscribing to. Signal pirates exploit vulnerabilities in the encryption technology, including the satellite access card, which uniquely identifies a subscriber to the satellite network to “unlock” the encryption without authorization.
To combat this, once it becomes obvious that the signal encryption technology has been compromised, the satellite broadcaster must upgrade their “conditional access” technology, usually requiring a software upgrade to subscribers receivers in addition to a replacement “access card”.
Bell Expressvu has already begun to upgrade subscriber’s receivers in preparation for the new access card which will begin mailing to subscribers shortly. Once the subscriber receives their new access card, they simply remove the old card from their receiver (if equipped), insert the new access card and follow the on-screen instructions, activating it either online or via a toll free phone number. Certain Bell Expressvu receivers may have an empty card slot, in which case, the new access card slides in and the identical activation procedure takes place. To ensure the new access card is updated in short order, once mailed to subscribers, the old access card will be automatically disabled with a short period of time.
Bell Expressvu states the new card activation procedure will take 15 minutes to 2 hours for programming to return to normal.