Paul Bunyan Communications Chooses Witbe Monitoring Technology

Witbe remote eye controller
Paul Bunyan Communications relies on Witbe's Remote Eye Controller for remote testing. (Image credit: Witbe)

NEW YORK—U.S. rural all-fiber-optic network provider Paul Bunyan Communications has selected Witbe’s proactive monitoring technology to monitor channels remotely that run on its PBTV set-top boxes (STBs) and ensure customers across multiple states receive a high quality of experience (QoE).

"After talking to Witbe's friendly and extremely knowledgeable team, and seeing the quality of their products, we knew we weren't going to find another company that would hold a candle to them," said Grant Hicok, lead video system engineer at Paul Bunyan Communications. "We place great value on working with partners who understand our challenges and know their own products, and Witbe definitely meets that criteria."

Witbe monitoring technology automatically monitors any video service while it runs on a physical device plugged into the company’s Witbox, which evaluates the picture and sound quality of the service (QoS) just like a human would. When live service quality dips or is interrupted, the team at Paul Bunyan Communications receives immediate alerts to help them resolve errors before customers notice, the company said.

Monitoring data is then compiled in Smartgate, Witbe's observability platform, where teams can analyze the results across devices, regions and software versions, it said.

Paul Bunyan Communications also uses Witbe's Remote Eye Controller (REC) software to access and control any device remotely that’s plugged into a Witbox. With Witbe's REC, teams can collaborate and virtually monitor PBTV STBs across the regions in which they operate, it said.

"Our robust, proactive monitoring technology was designed to help providers keep a reliable eye on their video service 24/7," said Witbe CEO Mathieu Planche. "Witbe's technology is just as effective and dependable for providers focusing on the specific needs of local markets as it is for global players.”

More information is available on the company’s website.

Phil Kurz

Phil Kurz is a contributing editor to TV Tech. He has written about TV and video technology for more than 30 years and served as editor of three leading industry magazines. He earned a Bachelor of Journalism and a Master’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism.