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International Broadcast Centre

The International Broadcast Centre (IBC) is the media nerve centre for the World Cup. It will provide coverage of the World Cup to a cumulative audience of more than 30-billion viewers. Government will use the construction of the IBC to enhance South Africa's migration to high definition television and new broadcasting technology.

The International Broadcasting Centre will be the central hub of all broadcast activities of both the Host Broadcasting Service (HBS) and broadcast partners for the duration of the event. It will be the international gateway for all fiber and satellite based telecommunications services. The IBC will also house other media facilities, the host broadcaster’s main office and facilities and accommodate other broadcaster facilities.

The Department of Communication’s (DoC) involvement in building the IBC is to ensure that Government’s guarantee to FIFA is delivered. The Minister of Communications signed a guarantee as part of the bid committing the DoC to providing the South African Football Association (SAFA) with assistance in setting up the IBC, the main and subsidiary media centers, ICT infrastructure and the requisite bandwidth capacity for the World Cup event.

In line with the DoC ICT policy and skills development initiatives to ensure the 2010 World Cup ICT infrastructure leaves a positive legacy, the ICT infrastructure will be established in a way that will facilitate its maximum re-use post 2010, content creation and ICT skills development.

All the broadcast transmissions from the World Cup stadia and distribution both national and international will be facilitated via the IBC. Incoming bandwidth capacity will cater for the bandwidth required when matches are played simultaneously at different stadia. Most broadcast partners’ transmissions to and from FIFA stadia-venues and non-stadia venues will connect to their destination countries through the IBC.

The signal from the IBC will be transmitted to the international community using a number of international submarine cables like SAT-3, SAFE and the NEPAD Broadband Cable.

In designing and constructing the IBC particular attention will be paid to adequate electrical power supplies, sufficient cable ducting, adequate lighting, air-conditioning and heating, parking, access for heavy transport vehicles, access to the venue, access to accommodation, and transport to and from the venue.

Facilities available at the IBC include the following:

At the time when South Africa was bidding to host the 2010 World Cup, the IBC was intended also to house the main media centre. The OC has since decided that this facility will be replaced by expanded services at the stadium media centres and a briefing room accommodating up to 200 persons within the IBC.
The Satellite Farm covers an area of approximately 5000 m², where different broadcast partners will install their Satellite Dishes to transmit their matches to their respective countries. The final configuration of this space will depend on good visibility of the satellites.
The IBC will house the Master Control Room (MCR), which receives incoming signals from the 10 stadium and other ‘non-venue’ sites, and general telecom interfaces (fibre optic or satellite downlink). The MCR is used to monitor and distribute signals to broadcasting partners in the IBC.
Sentech’s second Teleport will be built at the satellite farm to provide reliable broadcast infrastructure backup.
The IBC includes radio stations booths/units and broadcasters’ studios, in accordance with their requirements.
Other amenities availed to the media and other personnel based at the IBC include lounge and rest areas, a convenience store, newspapers, waste removal, freight forwarding, mailing and courier services, banking, cleaning, catering, medical and emergency services.

Following a consideration of the report from the Board of the FIFA Organising Committee (OC), Cabinet approved the OC Board recommendation that the 2010 FIFA World Cup International Broadcast Centre (IBC) be located in Johannesburg. The cities of Cape Town and Ethekwini were the other cities that submitted bids to host the IBC.