FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Gulfcom transports channels only to Operators located worldwide. Gulfcom’s customers are Operators that include Cable, Telco, Satellite (DTH), IPTV, OTT and ISP systems, along with Resorts, Army Bases & Marinas with large enough TV Platforms. Gulfcom only provides a Business-to-Business (B2B) service. Gulfcom does not sell channels directly to the public/viewer. Gulfcom transports channels over IP because not all Operators globally can "see" the satellite we use, as the footprint for it covers only North, Central & South America. IP transport is not a replacement for satellite, it's just a different method of transporting the channels to Operators. Gulfcom transports the same channels to satellite as we do for IP. Instead of an Operator having to buy multiple satellite receivers, we can now send the entire channel package via IP to the Operator, who then integrates the channels into their headend as they see fit.

Operators are required to be setup for receiving multicast streams. An Operator can either build their own IP reception equipment or they can purchase any SRT Media Gateway. IP DELIVERY: A broadcast quality IP Terminal Stream (TS) is transported to the customer provided dedicated IP Address, with Secure Reliable Transport (SRT). The Haivision Media Gateway is the server Gulfcom currently recommends to deliver channels to the Customer's Head End. Other IP Gateways may be used if compatible with receiving SRT Streams. Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) is a UDP-based transport technology that optimizes streaming performance across unpredictable networks. SRT is applied to contribution and distribution endpoints as part of a video stream workflow to deliver the best quality and lowest latency video at all times. We recommend the Haivision SRT Media Gateway being utilized as the receive server by the Operator (Gulfcom’s Customer), the output stream is IP Multicast UDP. Haivision Gateways can be purchased through Gulfcom or directly from Haivision.

IP SRT Requirements: Operators (customers) are to provide the following info to Gulfcom, regarding their SRT Receive Gateway network configurations (both for input and output of IP streams) and make the necessary port forward rules within their Firewall (if the receive unit is behind a Firewall). Prior to Gulfcom shipping an SRT Receive Gateway, the following info is required by the local Operator (customer) to receive SRT Signals over IP. OPTION 1 NO FIREWALL: Operator (customer) Info Required if SRT Receive Gateway is planned to have no Firewall infront: 1) Static Public IP Address for SRT Receive Gateway Device where IP streams will be sent to. Example 149.20.394.56 configured for eno1. 2) Subnet Mask (default is 255.255.255.0) If different, please specify. 3) Public Gateway (Example 149.20.394.1) No Port forward rules are required if SRT Receive Gateway is not behind a firewall. OPTION 2 WITH FIREWALL: Operator (customer) Info Required if SRT Receive Gateway is planned to be behind a Firewall: 1) Static Local IP Address of SRT Receive Gateway Device on customers internal/local network behind the firewall. Example default is 192.168.1.151 configured for eno1, if different please specify. 2) Subnet Mask (eg. default is 255.255.255.0) If different, please specify. 3) Local Gateway on customers internal/local network behind the firewall (default is 192.168.1.1) If different, please specify. 4) Static Public IP Address of customers network in front of the Firewall where the port forward rules will be directed from. Example https://149.20.394.22:49152 Firewall Network Configurations - The following Port Forward rules are required for the Operator (customer) to create if the SRT Receive Gateway is behind a firewall: 5) Port Forward 49152 to Port 443 of the SRT Receive Gateway at the local address of 192.168.6.151 This will give us (Gulfcom) web access to the unit for remote control, configuration, and upgrading the unit. Example https://149.20.394.22:49152 6) Port Forward 49122 to Port 22, of the SRT Receive Gateway at the local address of 192.168.6.151 This will give us (Gulfcom) SSH access for remote diagnostics and troubleshooting. The above two 49xxx ports are just a suggestion. If you'd like to assign two different ports, just let us know. ***Port Forward Option***: Your Firewall may also allow for the Public IP address to be mapped 1:1 directly through to the Local IP Address of the SRT Receive Gateway, so that both ports 443 and 22 can be used instead of 49152 and 49122. 7) Gulfcom will be using UDP ports 9xxx to stream to, in this format srt://GulfcomTransmitIP:UDP_Ports. UDP Port numbers will be determined at time of final configuration. Here are some examples of SRT streaming links and UDP Ports srt://xx.xx.xx.210:9520, srt://xx.xx.xx.210:9521 and srt://xx.xx.xx.210:9522. Please ensure your firewall allows for the UDP Ports your signals are designated. Ensure the UDP Ports provided on setup are open on your firewall. Example: ‘SRT:udp9520-9522’ and having ’149.20.394.11 (public IP) pointing to 192.168.6.151 (local IP) for (UDP:9520-9522 pointing to 9520-9522)’. 8) Gulfcom will be streaming from our source Transmit IP, which is provided to the customer on setup. Our primary IP (xx.xx.xx.212) and backup (xx.xx.xx.211) will be provided to the customer on install. Please ensure your firewall allows for these IP's within your network. Please make sure your IT department configures your firewall, and any other devices that may be in the IP path. LOCAL NETWORK (LAN) OUTPUT CONFIGURATIONS of SRT Receive Gateway (eno2): The SRT Receive Gateway provided by Gulfcom has two Network Interface Cards (NIC) with two corresponding Ethernet ports. One is for the incoming SRT signals over public internet (eno1- WAN) and the second is for the output of signals in TS over UDP protocol Multicast (eno2 - LAN). The two Ethernet ports will be labelled eno1 and eno2 on the unit shipped to you. 1) Multicast Output Configurations are required by the customer for each channel being received. For example, the multicast outputs could be 239.85.10.1:57xx, 239.85.10.xx:57xx or 239.20.20.xx:20xx. If a total of twenty five channels have been requested, Gulfcom will need twenty five multicast output configurations from the Operator. This is generally the Operators digital mux. 2) The IP address given to the output port of the device eno2 (Gb2 NIC): By default, we use either 10.10.10.30 or 10.10.10.36. If this needs to be changed, please supply the new IP address to us. This NIC will be used for the UDP output streams. Gulfcom usually configures the unit with something in the range of 10.10.10.xx or 10.10.xx.10. We will use 255.255.255.0 for the subnet mask, and we do not need a Gatetway address, due to the traffic being UDP multicast. FINAL CONFIGURATION REQUIREMENTS: 1) Prior to launching services, please verify you have sufficient bandwidth to receive the channels requested, which depends on the number of streams receiving. For example, on average Gulfcom's transport of HD signals range between 5 and 7 mbps. SD signals range between 3 and 4 mbps. All channel delivery is in Single Transport Streams. 2) If the Operator is providing their own SRT Receive Gateway they are required to setup, administer and update the unit as required. Gulfcom will provide the Operator with AES encrypted SRT links, with a connection limit of 1 per channel. The Operator needs to ensure their SRT Receive Gateway is setup as 'Caller' to the streams provided by Gulfcom. Gulfcom's SRT Transmit unit will be set up as a 'Listener' for the streams provided. The Operator needs to set their SRT buffer to a minimum of 10240 kb for every SRT stream being received. AFTER SERVICE LAUNCH: 1) Gulfcom fully monitors in real-time all 100+ channels transported to ensure Operators receive the best service quality 24/7. Any channel issues that arise the Gulfcom Technical Team will be immediately alerted with detailed logs to allow for a quick resolution. 2) Gulfcom also has fully automated monitoring of the network pathway, 24/7, and in real-time, from our Transmit Units, over the Public Internet to the Receive Gateways at all Operators locations worldwide. If any issues arise on the pathway to any Operator, we will be immediately auto alerted and in contact with the Operator to assist. 3) Gulfcom will continually analyze the pathway of the streams for each Operator and optimize the SRT Transmit and Receive Gateways as required for best performance. EXAMPLES of SRT IP Receive Gateway Configurations for Operators: 1)  SRT Gateway with no Firewall in front:     eno1 Public Static IP:  149.21.420.10 Subnet/Netmask:  255.255.255.240 Public Gateway:  149.21.420.15 No Port Forward Rules required.   eno2  IP Address 10.10.10.36 Subnet/Netmask:  255.255.255.0   2)  SRT Gateway behind a Firewall:   eno1 Internal/Local IP Address: 192.168.6.151 Public IP:  149.21.420.10 Subnet/Netmask:  255.255.255.0 Internal/Local Gateway: 192.168.6.1 Port Forward 49152 to Port 443 (or 80) of the SRT Receive Gateway at the local IP address of 192.168.6.151 This will give us (Gulfcom) web access to the unit for remote control, configuration, and upgrading the unit. Example https://149.20.394.22:49152 Port Forward 49122 to Port 22, of the SRT Receive Gateway at the local address of 192.168.6.151 This will give us (Gulfcom) SSH access for remote diagnostics and troubleshooting.    eno2  IP Address 10.10.10.30 Subnet/Netmask:  255.255.255.0   ADDITIONAL INFO: Hardware: Haivision Media Gateway available in either 100mbps, 200mbps or 500mbps units. The Haivision SRT Gateway Quick Start Guide, User Manual and Data Sheet can also assist in your setup process. Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) is a UDP-based transport technology that optimizes streaming performance across unpredictable networks. SRT is applied to contribution and distribution endpoints as part of a video stream workflow to deliver the best quality and lowest latency video at all times. SRT detects and adapts to the real-time network conditions between the two endpoints. SRT helps compensate for jitter and bandwidth fluctuations due to congestion over noisy networks. Error recovery mechanism minimizes the packet loss typical of Internet connections. AES 128/256 bit encryption is also supported for end-to-end security, keeping your streams safe from prying eyes. If further information or assistance is required to setup your IP Gateway, please contact us. GULFCOM TECH SUPPORT TEAM 24/7 Gulfcom Technical Support Phone: 1 (416) 410-6621 Email: techsupport@gulfcom.net www.gulfcom.net/helpdesk Qué necesita un operador (cliente) para configurar el transporte de señales IP a través de una puerta de enlace SRT? Si necesita más información o asistencia para configurar su puerta de enlace IP, utilice esta asistencia para recibir señales SRT a través de IP. Los operadores (clientes) deben proporcionar la siguiente información a Gulfcom, con respecto a sus configuraciones de la puerta de enlace de recepción SRT (tanto para la entrada como para la salida de flujos de IP) y establecer las reglas necesarias de envío del puerto dentro de su cortafuego (firewall), (si la unidad de recepción está detrás de un Firewall). Antes de que Gulfcom envíe una puerta de enlace de recepción SRT, el operador local (cliente) requiere la siguiente información para recibir Señales SRT a través de IP. OPCIÓN 1 SIN CORTAFUEGO (FIREWALL): Operador (cliente) Información requerida si se planea que la puerta de enlace de recepción SRT no tenga Firewall enfrente: 1) Dirección IP pública estática para el dispositivo de puerta de enlace de recepción SRT al que se enviarán los flujos de IP. Ejemplo 149.20.394.56 configurado para eno1. 2) Máscara de subred (el predeterminado es 255.255.255.0) Si es diferente, por favor especifiquelo. 3) Puerta de enlace pública (Ejemplo 149.20.394.1) No se requieren reglas de envío del puerto si la puerta de enlace de recepción SRT no está detrás de un firewall. OPCIÓN 2 CON FIREWALL: Operador (cliente) Información requerida si se planea que el enlace de recepción SRT esté detrás de un Firewall: 1) Dirección IP local estática del dispositivo de la puerta de enlace de recepción SRT en la red local/interna de los clientes detrás del firewall. Por ejemplo el predeterminado es 192.168.1.151 configurado para eno1, si es diferente, especifique. 2) Máscara de subred (por ejemplo, el predeterminado es 255.255.255.0) Si es diferente, especifiquelo. 3) Puerta de enlace local en la red local/interna de los clientes detrás del firewall (el predeterminado es 192.168.1.1) Si es diferente, especifiquelo. 4) Dirección IP pública estática de la red de clientes frente al Firewall donde las reglas de reenvío del puerto serán dirigidas. Ejemplo https://149.20.394.22:49152 Configuraciones de red de firewall: el operador (cliente) debe crear las siguientes reglas de reenvío de puerto si la puerta de enlace de recepción SRT está detrás de un firewall: 5) Reenvío del puerto 49152 al puerto 443 de la puerta de enlace de recepción SRT en la dirección local 192.168.6.151. Esto nos dará a nosotros (Gulfcom) acceso remoto a la unidad para el control remoto, configuración y actualización de la unidad. Ejemplo https://149.20.394.22:49152 6) Reenvío del puerto 49122 al puerto 22, de la puerta de enlace de recepción SRT en la dirección local 192.168.6.151 Esto nos dará a nosotros (Gulfcom) SSH acceso remoto para diagnósticos y solución de problemas. Los dos puertos 49xxx anteriores son solamente una sugerencia. Si desea asignar dos puertos diferentes, solo háganoslo saber. Opción de reenvío de puerto: su cortafuegos también puede permitir que la dirección IP pública de su puerta de enlace de recepción SRT se asigne 1:1 directamente a la dirección IP local de la unidad, de modo que se puedan usar los puertos 443 y 22 en lugar de 49152 y 49122. 7) Gulfcom utilizará los UDP puertos 9xxx para transmitir, en este formato srt://GulfcomTransmitIP:UDP_Ports. Los números de puerto UDP se determinarán en el momento de la configuración final. Estos son algunos ejemplos de enlaces de transmisión SRT y puertos UDP srt://xx.xx.xx.210:9520, srt://xx.xx.xx.210:9521 y srt://xx.xx.xx.210 :9522. Por favor asegúrese de que su firewall permita los puertos UDP designados para sus señales. Asegúrese de que los puertos UDP proporcionados en la configuración estén abiertos en su firewall. Ejemplo: 'SRT:udp9520-9522' y tener '149.20.394.11 (IP pública) apuntando a 192.168.6.151 (IP local) para (UDP:9520-9522 apuntando a 9520-9522)'. 8) Gulfcom transmitirá desde nuestra IP de transmisión, que se le proporcionara al cliente en la configuración. Nuestra IP principal (xx.xx.xx.212) y respaldo (xx.xx.xx.211) se proporcionarán al cliente en la instalación. Por favor asegúrese de que su firewall permita estas direcciones IP dentro de su red. Por favor asegúrese de que su departamento de IT configure su firewall y cualquier otro dispositivo que pueda estar en la ruta del IP. CONFIGURACIONES DE SALIDA DE RED LOCAL de puerta de enlace de recepción SRT (eno2): La puerta de enlace de recepción SRT proporcionada por Gulfcom tiene dos tarjetas de interfaz de red (NIC) con dos puertos de Ethernet correspondientes. Uno es para las señales SRT que entran a través de Internet público (eno1) y el segundo es para la salida de señales en TS sobre el protocolo UDP Multifunción (eno2). Los dos puertos Ethernet estarán etiquetados como eno1 y eno2 en la unidad que se le envíe. 1) El cliente requiere configuraciones de salida de multifunción para cada canal que recibe. Por ejemplo, las salidas de multifunción podrían ser 239.85.10.1:57xx, 239.85.10.xx:57xx ó 239.20.20.xx:20xx. Si se ha solicitado un total de veinticinco canales, Gulfcom necesitará veinticinco configuraciones de multifunciones de salida por el Operador. Estos son generalmente los Operadores digitales mux. 2) Para la dirección IP asignada al puerto de salida del dispositivo eno2 (NIC Gb2): El predeterminado que usamos es 10.10.10.30 ó 10.10.10.36. Si es necesario cambiarlo, proporciónenos la nueva dirección IP. Este NIC se utilizará para los flujos de salida UDP. Gulfcom generalmente configura la unidad dentro del rango de 10.10.10.xx ó 10.10.xx.10. Nosotros usaremos 255.255.255.0 para la máscara de subred y no necesitamos una dirección de puerta de enlace, debido a que el tráfico es multidifusión UDP. FINAL REQUERIMIENTO PARA LA CONFIGURACIÓN FINAL: 1) Antes de iniciar los servicios, verifique si tiene suficiente ancho de banda para recibir los canales solicitados, el cual depende de la cantidad de transmisiones que reciba. Por ejemplo, en promedio, el transporte de señales HD de Gulfcom oscila entre 5 y 7 mbps. Las señales SD oscilan entre 3 y 4 mbps. Todos los canales se entregan en flujos de transporte único. 2) Si el Operador proporciona su propia puerta de enlace de recepción SRT, debe configurarlo, administrarlo y actualizar la unidad según sea necesario. Gulfcom proporcionará al Operador enlaces AES encriptados SRT enlaces con un límite de conexión de 1 por canal. El operador debe asegurarse de que su puerta de enlace de recepción SRT esté configurada como "llamador" para las transmisiones proporcionadas por Gulfcom. La unidad de transmisión SRT de Gulfcom se configurará como 'oyente' para las transmisiones proporcionadas. DESPUÉS DEL LANZAMIENTO DEL SERVICIO: 1) monitorea completo por Gulfcom en tiempo real de los más de 100 canales transportados para garantizar que los Operadores reciban la mejor calidad de servicio las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana. Cualquier problema de canal que surja, el equipo técnico de Gulfcom será alertado de inmediato con registros detallados para permitir una resolución rápida.locations worldwide. If any issues arise on the pathway to any Operator, we will be immediately auto alerted and in contact with the Operator to assist. 2) Gulfcom también cuenta con monitoreo completo automatizado de la ruta de la red, las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana y en tiempo real, desde nuestras Unidades de transmisión, a través de la Internet pública hasta las puertas de enlace de recepción en donde estén localizados los operadores en todo el mundo. Si surge algún problema en el camino hacia cualquier Operador, recibiremos una alerta automática de inmediato y nos pondremos en contacto con el Operador para ayudarlo. 3) Gulfcom analizará continuamente la ruta de los flujos para cada Operador y optimizará las puertas de enlace de transmisión y recepción SRT según sea necesario para lograr el mejor rendimiento. EJEMPLOS de configuraciones de puerta de enlace de recepción IP SRT para operadores: 1) Puerta de enlace SRT sin Cortafuegos (Firewall) al frente: eno1 IP estática pública: 149.21.420.10 Subred/Máscara de red: 255.255.255.240 Puerta de enlace pública: 149.21.420.15 No se requieren reglas de reenvío de puertos. eno2 Dirección IP 10.10.10.36 Subred/Máscara de red: 255.255.255.0 2) Puerta de enlace SRT detrás de un cortafuegos (Firewall): eno1 Dirección IP interna/local: 192.168.6.151 IP pública: 149.21.420.10 Subred/Máscara de red: 255.255.255.0 Puerta de enlace interna/local: 192.168.6.1 Puerto de reenvío 49152 al puerto 443 ó (80) de la puerta de enlace de recepción SRT en la dirección IP local de 192.168.6.151 dará a (Gulfcom) acceso remoto a la unidad para control remoto, configuración y actualización de la unidad. Ejemplo https://149.20.394.22:49152 Puerto de reenvío 49122 al puerto 22, de la puerta de enlace de recepción SRT en la dirección local de 192.168.6.151 nos dará a (Gulfcom) SSH acceso para diagnósticos remotos y resolución de problemas. eno2 Dirección IP 10.10.10.30 Subred/Máscara de red: 255.255.255.0 INFORMACIÓN ADICIONAL: El manual de usuario y la hoja de datos de Haivision SRT Gateway (PDF), Quick Start Guide y Data Sheet también pueden ayudarlo en su proceso de configuración. Si necesita más información o asistencia para configurar su puerta de enlace IP, comuníquese con nosotros. EQUIPO DE SOPORTE TÉCNICO DE GULFCOM 24/7 Gulfcom Technical Support Phone: 1 (416) 410-6621 Email: techsupport@gulfcom.net www.gulfcom.net/helpdesk

Gulfcom can provide on request, individual SRT or HLS channel sample links (eg. srt://123.231.32:1432 or http://123.231.32/hls/67778bec-0134-hac6-3bd4-40c5e07d2a28/play.m3u8) which can be easily viewed on any desktop computer using VLC player when put in the 'Open Network' tab. These channel links will be active for only a specified sampling period. If the SRT streams are AES Encrypted, you must ensure the passphrase is saved within VLC Player in order to play the stream, follow the steps below: 1) VLC Preferences 2) Input/Codecs 3) Show All 4) Access Modules 5) SRT 6) Type in password 7) Ensure encryption is set to 16 bytes 8) Save 9) Close VLC Player 10) Open VLC and now play the stream within 'Open Network' tab. For best picture quality with VLC Player ensure that the following settings are correct. Go to "Tools > Preferences > Input / Codec > and Disable Hardware Accelerated Decoding" Save, close and reopen stream, and should be good. We recommend using a Haivision Media Gateway server to best receive and test the channels within your platform. A Haivision server can be purchased and pre-configured through Gulfcom or arrangements for a loner can be made. Once you have your Haivision server, Gulfcom will then send an IP Terminal Stream (TS) over SRT multicast. The Haivision output stream is IP Multicast UDP. Once the Haivision server is connected to the internet at your destination, we can easily change the NIC address as required by the customer. The server has two NICs. One is for the internet connection that receives the streams from Gulfcom, and the second NIC is an output NIC that streams the channels to your downstream equipment. The stream(s) are Single Program Transport Streams. See the Haivision Media Gateway Data Sheet for your reference: Haivision Gateway @ 100 Mbps - (Can receive up to 25 channels) or Haivision Rack-Mountable Gateway @ 200 Mbps - (Can receive up to 50 channels) or Haivision Rack-Mountable Gateway @ 500 Mbps - (50+ channels)

Gulfcom Technical Support is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year round. Telephone: +1 (416) 410-6621 Email: techsupport@gulfcom.net Web Tickets: www.gulfcom.net/helpdesk Subscribe to Gulfcom Technical Notifications Below is Gulfcom's Escalation Matrix:

Gulfcom can configure the server sent to the Operator, and the Operator supplies the multicast addresses to send the streams to, but Gulfcom needs/requires the physical address of the output Network Interface Card (NIC) port. Gulfcom will require the Customer's dedicated IP address, subnet & gateway to configure the Haivision Receive unit. Gulfcom requires the multicast configuration for the output of the various channels, and the associated port numbers for the channels, to pre-congiure the Haivision Receive unit prior to shipping to the customer. For example, the streams can be 239.85.10.1:57xx, or 239.85.10.x:57xx A total of twenty-five channels have been requested, so we'll need twenty-five multicast o/p configurations.

Customer Question continued: This multicast stream is going to be dumped into a vlan already carrying other multicast traffic to those very same interfaces waiting to receive your channels. However I don't think it would be wise to plug in an ip address based on the network created in that vlan as we are doing multicast routing and have a multicast router. The ip address correct me if I am wrong has to be out of that range so it doesn't try to use the multicast router on that vlan. I would pick a random ip address for that interface if that is so. Gulfcom Answer: The output Network Interface Card (NIC) was configured with a 192.168.1.15 IP address. However, once the server is connected to the internet at your destination, Gulfcom can easily change the NIC address as required by the customer. The server has two NICs. One is for the internet connection that receives the streams from Gulfcom, and the second NIC is an output NIC that streams the channels to your downstream equipment. There is a one page configuration sheet included in the box that has the current configuration. The server has a small piece of green painters tape at the back left corner (when viewed from the back) that identifies where each NIC needs to be plugged into. Once the server is rack mounted, powered up, and connected to the internet, it will automatically connect to our streaming source server. No intervention required. All Gulfcom has to do at that point is configure the output NIC with the customer’s IP information stated, and turn streaming on to the supplied multicast addresses.

Gulfcom will change the configuration, once supplied by the customer and let you know.

All channels in the multicast streams are present on the supplied multicast IPs. If you have TSReader, StreamXpert, or some other Transport Stream (TS) monitoring program, you'll see the channels within the stream(s). The stream(s) are Single Program Transport Streams. If you have PotPlayer or VLC, connecting your laptop to the multicast network and entering your customer supplied multicast information (eg. udp://@224.60.1.1:5000 or udp://@224.60.2.1:5000), you can view the channels. Example of Operator receiving stream: All of Gulfcom's signals received go into our software based headend platform. It receives the ip inputs. Once there we change the multicast ip addresses to suit our internal streaming vlan. This same platform has RF outputs that we can feed the channels to and reintegrate into our coax system

Correct.

We use Priority Mail. Shipping can take anywhere from 5-10 business days after your order has been received and processed. We will confirm once your order has been received and send a tracking number once your order has been configured and shipped to you.

Below is the legal background established and proven for decades in the Western Hemisphere with regards to the reception, transporting and retransmission of the over-the-air signals Gulfcom offers. Gulfcom receives over-the-air television signals (the “Signals”) in Canada and then transports the Signals from Canada for reception and retransmission by television systems around the world to their subscribers. Gulfcom does not alter the content of the Signals in any way, and only supplies the Signals to television systems that it believes have been duly authorized under local law to operate in the jurisdiction in which they are located. The retransmission of distant over-the-air television signals is very common in Canada, the U.S., Latin America and many other countries globally. In fact, cable television systems in Canada and the U.S. were originally formed to facilitate the reception of television signals that their subscribers could not receive in acceptable quality using a traditional off-air antenna. The distant signals were supplied to the cable television head-ends initially by terrestrial microwave and then subsequently also by satellite and terrestrial fibre. In Canada, many subscribers to cable television systems could receive more than 50 distant Canadian and U.S. signals. Gulfcom is one of numerous entities that provide transport services for the delivery of over-the-air television signals to television systems on a distant basis. The retransmission of distant signals in a country (the “Retransmission Jurisdiction”) will be governed by the local laws of the Retransmission Jurisdiction, such as copyright and broadcasting laws. It will not be determined by the laws of the jurisdictions in which the signals originate. In this regard, we understand that U.S. courts have confirmed that U.S. copyright law does not have extraterritorial effect. There are a variety of approaches to the retransmission of distant signals that could be taken under the laws of the Retransmission Jurisdiction. The first is to impose no requirements so that the retransmission of distant signals does not require the consent of the originating broadcasters or of copyright owners in the retransmitted programming or the payment of any consideration to such broadcasters or owners. This was the approach that was followed in Canada until 1989, and we understand that it is currently followed by some countries. The second is provide a compulsory licensing regime for the retransmission of distant signals. A compulsory licensing regime is one in which a person is authorized to make use of copyrighted works without the consent of the copyright owner provided that such person pays a royalty approved by the government, a regulatory agency or some independent third party. These royalties are then distributed to the copyright owners, usually by a collective of owners having a similar interest. Canada adopted such a regime in 1989 following an amendment to its copyright law. The third is to require the consent of the originating broadcasters and/or the owners of copyright in the content of the signal to the retransmission of the signal. The U.S. requires the consent of the originating broadcaster to retransmissions of distant signals within the U.S. No such consent will be required unless the laws of the Retransmission Jurisdiction expressly impose such a consent requirement in its copyright or broadcasting laws. Gulfcom conducts its reception and transporting activities in Canada. The Canadian Copyright Act expressly provides that a person who merely transports a signal to a retransmitter does not commit an infringement of Canadian copyright and therefore does not require the consent of the copyright owner and is not required to pay a royalty. Such a person is commonly referred to as a “passive carrier”, and the exemption from copyright liability is commonly referred to as the “passive carrier exemption”. A similar exemption is provided under U.S. copyright law. Gulfcom, like numerous other entities in Canada and the U.S., is a passive carrier. Gulfcom’s reception and transporting activity falls within the passive carrier exemption, and such activity does not require the consent of the originators of the Signals and is in accordance with Canadian copyright law. As noted above, it is the laws of the Retransmission Jurisdiction that will govern the retransmission of distant signals in that jurisdiction. Thus, the retransmission of the Signals to the subscribers of the television systems served by Gulfcom will not require the consent of the originating broadcaster unless the Retransmission Jurisdiction expressly imposes such a consent requirement in its copyright or broadcasting laws. No consent will be required if there is a compulsory licensing regime in place under the copyright laws of the Retransmission Jurisdiction or the Retransmission Jurisdiction does not extend any copyright protection to the retransmission of over-the-air signals, and if the Retransmission Jurisdiction does not impose a consent requirement under its local broadcasting laws. The delivery of this memorandum to you by Gulfcom does not constitute the provision of legal advice by us to you, and does not create any solicitor-client relationship of any kind between us and you. This memorandum is not a legal opinion and you should not act on the basis of the information in this memorandum without first seeking your own legal advice. This memorandum was prepared in English. If Gulfcom provides you with a translation of this memorandum, the English version will govern in the event of a conflict with the translated version. If you have any further questions, email us at philip@gulfcom.net

Unfortunately, for the intergrity of our company, services, and time constraints all Haivision IP Gateway servers are NON-REFUNDABLE. Items may be exchanged upon review but is totally up to the discretion of the merchant. (Exchanges are not guaranteed). For any additional question don't hesitate to contact us at philip@gulfcom.net

Gulfcom’s network is currently on the SES-3 Satellite in C-Band, which has one of the strongest signal patterns across the USA, Canada, Caribbean and Central America. Gulfcom signals are transmitted in Mpeg 4-C band using the Cisco-Scientified Atlanta (S.A.) Powervu Digital Systems, which are designed for commercial rather than residential applications. This extremely flexible system also allows for ease of conversion to most local digital platforms. CISCO receivers such as a D9854, D9858, D9859 or D9828 can be used for receiving Gulfcom signals by Satellite. Synamedia offers the D9800 multi-stream chassis that would be CISCO's replacement: https://www.synamedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Synamedia-D9800-Network-Transport-Receiver-Data-Sheet.pdf SATELLITE - SES 3 103.0 West Latitude, Transponder 12 Frequency: 3.490 Ghz L-band: 1210 Mhz Network ID: 1 and 3 Modulation (DVB-S2 8PSK) SR (Symbol Rate) (28.0) FEC: Auto (Currently 3/4) Scientific Atlanta (CISCO) POWERVU+ Subscribe to get Gulfcom's Technical Notices: www.gulfcom.net/tech-updates Technical Support: techsupport@gulfcom.net 1 (416) 410-6621 ​ Test our Services: philip@gulfcom.net 1 (416) 768-7436

Please ensure the settings of the Receiver match the below specifications, and then power cycle the receiver. Also ensure the dish was not moved out of alignment at all, as you may need to re-peak it. Then ensure the LNB is working properly. As a general rule, you should strive to have a margin no less than 3db so if you were running lower than that before, you will need to look at ways to improve reception be it re-peaking your dish or looking at potential issues in the RF path such as splitters, cabling and most importantly, making sure that any unused splitter ports are properly terminated to eliminate impedance mismatch or reflection if indeed you have cables connected to splitters but no connection on the other end. SATELLITE - SES 3 103.0 West Latitude, Transponder 12 Frequency: 3.490 Ghz L-band: 1210 Mhz Network ID: 1 and 3 Modulation (DVB-S2 8PSK) SR (Symbol Rate) (28.0) FEC: Auto (Currently 3/4) Scientific Atlanta (CISCO) POWERVU+ The next thing to rule out receiver hardware, so please try another CISCO receiver and make note of the input performance. In order to do a proper comparison and to confirm the source input signal is not the issue, you will have to use another CISCO receiver such as a D9854, D9858, D9859 or D9828. Since the point is to confirm RF input performance, it is not necessary for them to be authorized in our system. If the margin and signal level are the same as with the current receiver then the issue lies with the feed itself be it possibly dish alignment. I would also check for cross-poll issues. If the levels and margin are similar using one of the above mentioned units then unlikely a hardware issue with your receiver. On that note the next steps would be to work backwards from the receiver from checking cable connections and whether or not the cables themselves are in good condition to splitter issues to feed issues etc. If the unit is being fed via splitter, can you replace the splitter? If there is a splitter in place, are any of its outputs not in use and if so, are they properly terminated with 75 ohm terminator. Even more important is if there are cables connected to the splitter which are not connected to receivers on the other end ie. ends left open. In this case, there could be reflection of signal down the cable which could definitely impact quality. If you can bypass the splitter and feed the receiver directly, even for a short test, it would help with isolating the issue. Does the margin fluctuate based on time of day? Has the performance degraded over long period of time or all of a sudden? Is the margin consistently low or does it fluctuate greatly ie. more than a couple db? Is so, perhaps a new source of local interference has been introduced. If the Cisco receiver is determined to be end-of-life, Synamedia offers the D9800 multi-stream chassis that would be its replacement. https://www.synamedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Synamedia-D9800-Network-Transport-Receiver-Data-Sheet.pdf