News

CESTRON International Expands Activities into Canada

 

September 29, 2026

 

After already having signed a contract for the implementation of a larger communication programme for the Norwegian defence sector CESTRON’s Management recently travelled to Canada as members of a business delagation of the Embassy of Canada. Main Targets included the visit of Canada's largest annual global defense and security trade show CANSEC-2026 in Ottawa and to tie up with potential Canadian partners and customers.

 

Germany, Canada and Norway are building a maritime security partnership for the North Atlantic together with Denmark and Iceland. The exchange of maritime reconnaissance data and joint trainings /manoeuvres are aimed at improving NATO‘s capability and to protect critical underwater infrastructure by establishing a stronger presence in the far North Atlantic region.

 

Various side events have been visited, highlights included the Canada-Germany Defence Dialogue organized by the Canadian German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (CGCIC) and the Embassy of Canada, Unlocking Canada’s Defence Market designed for international firms exploring opportunities as well as networking events where German and Canadian companies were brought together.

 

 

All this together allowed CESTRON to dive deep into the Canadian Defence and Security ecosystems and markets. Consequently, CESTRON established partnerships with the Canadian industry as well as with Governmental Institutions and end customers such as the Royal Canadian Navy.

 

CESTRON has undertaken a comprehensive range of activities to establish its presence in the market for Beyond Line-of-Sight (BLOS) wireless radio communication technologies across the HF, LF and VLF frequency ranges. These activities have included shipment of product samples to Canada, participation on Requests for Information (RFI’s) issued by the Canadian Government as well as the execution of site visits and surveys. Those efforts resulted in recommendations for modernization and upgrade of existing BLOS communication radio systems based on the longterm experience of CESTRON’s experts. These inertial activities will be followed by investments, joint ventures, technology transfer and strategic partnerships for turnkey projects and programmes in Canada, in line with Canada’s established “BUILD–PARTNER–BUY” procurement and industrial participation framework.

 

Providing its expertise in HF/LF/VLF communication systems and related technologies the CESTRON International Group is looking forward to supporting Canada with advanced strategic communication capabilities.

 

For more information, please contact:
info@cestron.de

 

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 

 

Design and Manufacture of the new NAVLC Transmitter Series

 

August 31, 2026

 

CESTRON International GmbH - supported by the affiliate company ELSYCOM GmbH – has successfully delivered and commissioned a completely new designed transmitter. The new NAVLC transmitter series is based on the field proven TRAM transmitter family of the former company “Telefunken Sendertechnik”.

 

The NAVLC has been re-designed based on our Vector Difference Modulation (VDM) to include applications at lower frequency ranges. Furthermore, we improved the overall system efficiency and achieved more than 90% (at 30 kHz).

 

Our affiliated company ANTENSAN has successfully commissioned a NAVLC transmitter with an output power of 100 kW in Türkiye, providing reliable long-range communication capabilities in support of our end customer, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This achievement further demonstrates CESTRON Group’s strategic expertise in delivering high-power communication solutions for demanding defence applications.

 

 

The NAVLC supports long-range communication over distances of several thousand of kilometers. Future applications will include data and voice broadcasting, meteorological and military services where operators are planning to modernize their infrastructure. Therefore, CESTRON decided to upgrade the NAVLC for use cases on higher frequency ranges of up to 200 kHz.

 

Please contact our marketing departments for more information:

 

info@cestron.de

info@elsyscom.de

 

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 

 

High-Level Delegation Explores Digital Radio Solutions in Nigeria

 

April 28, 2026

 

A high-level delegation from Nigeria, including representatives from the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Voice of Nigeria (VON), National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), and Ecalpemos Technologies, recently visited Cestron International in Teltow, Germany.

 

The event was organized by Cestron International and jointly conducted with DRM members Fraunhofer IIS and RFmondial.

 

During the visit, the Nigerian delegation provided an overview of the current broadcasting landscape in Nigeria. The DRM members then presented the global state of DRM, its applications – such as Emergency Warning Functionality and Distance Learning – and its advantages, including improved efficiency, cost savings, digital audio quality, and services like Station Logos, SlideShow, and Journaline for news, information, entertainment, audience targeting, interaction, and analytics. They also gave an overview of relevant products such as transmitters, DRM ContentServer, monitoring solutions, and the state of DRM receiver technology, as well as opportunities for the local broadcasting industry and economy.

 

The discussions confirmed that broadcasting remains a relevant medium, with digitization identified as essential to maintaining its appeal. DRM is the only digital radio technology able to provide local, regional as well as full country and international coverage Nigeria is engaged in.

 

Looking ahead, the Nigerian delegation and DRM members agreed to explore local demonstrations of DRM in Nigeria as soon as possible. Potential use cases include international shortwave broadcasting (VON), domestic services in the Medium Wave band, and VHF band applications.

 

Participants of the Nigerian Delegation and Host Cestron International with DRM Members RFmondial and Fraunhofer IIS

 

For more information on DRM and its applications, visit the DRM Consortium website.

 

For more information about CESTRON’s solution and capabilities, please visit www.cestron.de.

 

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 

WBCQ- Rotatable Shortwave Antenna

 

June 1, 2023

 

After final mechanical and electrical adjustments have been completed by CESTRON International GmbH (Germany) supported by WBCQ (USA) staff members by end of 2022, the entire rotatable short wave antenna system now achieved full operational capabilities. Within this context special credit is owed to Lance Cook (WBCQ Project Manager), Winfried Zimmer (Cestron Project Manager), Norbert Stangl (Cestron Chief Test Engineer), Stefan & Gion (Ampegon Software Engineers), Zvonko Radanovic (Tower Supervisor), Chris Lawless (CEC Field Engineer), NDC Communications and Tower Crew.

The rotatable antenna of type AHR 4/4/0.5 has been originally delivered by the former company Ampegon AG Switzerland to World Last Chance (WLC), Egypt to be operated by WBCQ Monticello, Maine (USA). The said system was the first rotatable shortwave high-power array antenna on the North American continent and designed for the transmission of shortwave signals of up to 500 kW.

The antenna is transmitting on 9,330 kHz with 150 kW transmission power. The programs are broadcasted in various languages for target areas in North-, South-, Central America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Reception reports issued by auditors from these parts of the world have proven the antenna’s performance (refer to www.worldslastchance.com/wlc-radio/reception-reports for further details). The high-power antenna offers different radiation patterns, an antenna gain of up to 23 dB and uses a technology characterized by a single-shaft structural design.

A tubular shaft with a diameter of four meters acts as a rotatable and supporting axis will absorb static and dynamic forces originating from antenna components, thus, allowing to function under extreme weather conditions. The antenna is consisting of a low-band and a high-band array antenna, positioned back-to-back, each equipped with a reflector screen.

Therefore, WBCQ can access all shortwave frequency bands between 6 MHz and 26 MHz.

As the system dispose of a DC grounding, only a minimal number of insulators and no insulation in structural parts are required.

An implemented computer-controlled and monitored system offers unlimited rotation capacity and will turn toward the coverage area using the shortest possible path. Intelligent drive control ensures the large rotating part of the structure is jolt-free, starting and braking to standstill with a high rotation speed of 1.2 degrees per second and a positioning accuracy of < 1degree.

 

About

• Cestron International GmbH
  CESTRON International GmbH is a privately owned company founded in 2001 and has been growing over the years to a major systems integrator. CESTRON provides turnkey radio solutions as well as transmitter and antenna systems in the shortwave (HF), medium wave (MF), longwave (LF) and ultra-longwave (VLF) frequency ranges worldwide.
• WBCQ
  WBCQ is a shortwave radio station operating at Monticello, Maine, United States. The station is owned and operated by Allan and Angela Weiner, who are also owning and operating WXME AM 780 kHz and WBCQ-FM 94.7 MHz at the shortwave site.
• WLC
  World's Last Chance is an online Christian ministry that produces end-time Bible prophetic videos on the web. The website upholds teachings from the Bible, which have yet to be disproved. The ministry is operated by non-denominational volunteers who share the belief that the second coming of Christ is only a few years away and are dedicated to sharing God's last warning of mercy with the world before His coming.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 

"Modern Radio Communication Methods in Public Transportation"

 

The Information Technology Society in the VDE (German Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies) invited to a public workshop on the topic ""Modern Radio Communication Methods in Public Transportation". The workshop has been chaired by Prof. Dr. Uwe-Carsten Fiebig (German Aerospace Center DLR) and Milan Popović (Cestron International GmbH) and took place at the VDE House in Berlin directly before the world's largest rail exhibition "Innotrans 2022".

 

Summary of the Workshop Topics:

Wireless transmission systems are increasingly important in public transport to ensure smooth operation of trains, subways and buses etc. With its public discussion session " Modern Radio Communication Methods in Public Transportation ", the ITG / VDE Expert Committee "Radio Systems" addressed modern radio procedures for local and long-distance rail traffic as well as for subways, cars and buses of local transport companies. The discussion session highlighted the steps in which existing radio systems will be replaced by new methods, the potential of modern transmission methods, and which technologies support new applications such as autonomous driving. Another focus has been given on safety-relevant applications right through to autonomous driving.

 

Please click here for more detailed information (in German): More information about the event (in German)