Egyptian National Media Authority (ENMA) is the country's public broadcasting organization, operating under government mandate. Founded in 1945, ENMA has established itself as one ofthe most important broadcasters in the Middle East and Africa, both for its size and for the qualityand volume of its Arabic-language content. It is also a prominent member of leading internationalorganizations such as the EBU and ASBU. ENMA currently produces and manages 19 independentradio channels, including national, international, regional, and thematic stations, as well as a wide range of televisionprogramming consisting of three national channels, oneinternational channel, and six regional channels withinEgypt. ENMA's headquarters are located in the iconic Masperobuilding in Cairo, on the banks of the Nile River, a true iconof the city's skyline, recognizable for its imposing size, height, and characteristic rooftop covered withtransmission antennas. After many years of satisfactory operation with a KROMA Telecom digital intercom system andfollowing a rigorous supplier selection process through international tender, ENMA's TechnicalDepartment has chosen the AEQ CONEXIA intercom system, together with AEQ TP9916 userpanels. This is a large-scale intercom installation, in line with the size and operational complexityof ENMA's headquarters, one of the main broadcasting centers in the region. AEQ's intercom technology allows end usersto share resources, optimize theirworkflows, and manage control of theirproductions on robust and highly reliablesystems equipped with redundancy andcapable of delivering the highest audioquality and advanced signal processing. Thisis state-of-the-art technology based on AoIPaudio networks and a centralized controlmodel that represents a decisive steptowards comprehensive and simplifiedcontent management, aimed at ensuringthe best end result in complex productionenvironments. The heart of the CONEXIA intercom system is the AEQ XCORE intercom matrix, with the capacity tointerconnect up to 1,000 different devices. The CONEXIA system deployed includes full operationalredundancy in this central matrix, with dual power supply, redundant DSP platform in N+1 format, and multiple controllers, thus ensuring high availability, which is essential in a critical system suchas intercom. The supply is completed with 128 state-of-the-art AEQ TP9116 intercom panels, equipped with color screens and multiple operating levers, distributed throughout the 25 floors ofENMA's headquarters. The AEQ CONEXIA platform is presented as a comprehensive solution capable of managing allcommunications and audio contributions in an installation. Its structure is based on a broadcastmatrix, which allows for the largest number of audio formats currently used on the market to beavailable in a completely modular way, selecting resources according to the specific needs of eachsystem at any given time. This modularity also allows for total system redundancy, with automaticbackup on both the controllers and the audio processing cards and crosspoints, and even on themultichannel or discrete I/O cards themselves. The internal TDM bus scales the matrix up to a sizeof 1,024 x 1,024 ports. All this makes AEQ CONEXIA a system with broadcast audio quality, at 48 kHz and 24 bits, providing flexibility and robustness to any audio management and intercom project. The structure of the AEQ CONEXIA system is based on the XCORE audio matrix, housed in a fourrack-unit chassis divided into three main blocks. The front section contains slots for DSP cards, which are responsible for audio processing and communication crosspoints. This processing isperformed dynamically, allowing for back-up cards with automatic function switching. The systemhas 20 slots for these cards, which are used depending on the size of the system and theinstallation requirements. At the rear, the system has two types of slots: two for controller cards, with redundancy option, and another 21 dedicated to input and output cards for the differentaudio formats required in each application, such as SDI, fiber, AoIP, analog or digital audio, amongothers. Finally, the system incorporates a central back panel that acts as an interconnection pointand as a transmission platform for the system's 1,024-channel TDM bus. The CONEXIA Masterprovides a higher level of management, allowing control of the entire intercom layer anddistributing the crosspoint commands defined in the configuration map created by the user. On the other hand, the new TP9000 series of user panels has been designed with broadcastquality to ensure compatibility with the digital technology of CONEXIA and CrossNET matrices. Audio is digitized and processed at 24 bits and 48 kHz, with a bandwidth of 20 Hz to 20 kHz andnegligible distortion and noise levels. Using the EP9116 expansion panel, it is possible to configuresystems with up to 64 physical levers. Ease of installation has also been taken into account, incorporating IP connectivity capable of managing high-quality audio in DANTE format, compatiblewith the AES67 standard. The panels also feature analog, KROMA digital, and VoIP ports, as well asan internal DSP that enables digital audio processing for acoustic echo cancellation and automaticleveling of voice power, tone, and speech habits for each operator. The acoustics have beencarefully studied to achieve maximum intelligibility and natural sound. The structure of the AEQ CONEXIA system is based on the XCORE audio matrix, housed in a fourrack-unit chassis divided into three main blocks. The front section contains slots for DSP cards, which are responsible for audio processing and communication crosspoints. This processing isperformed dynamically, allowing for back-up cards with automatic function switching. The systemhas 20 slots for these cards, which are used depending on the size of the system and theinstallation requirements. At the rear, the system has two types of slots: two for controller cards, with redundancy option, and another 21 dedicated to input and output cards for the differentaudio formats required in each application, such as SDI, fiber, AoIP, analog or digital audio, amongothers. Finally, the system incorporates a central back panel that acts as an interconnection pointand as a transmission platform for the system's 1,024-channel TDM bus. The CONEXIA Masterprovides a higher level of management, allowing control of the entire intercom layer anddistributing the crosspoint commands defined in the configuration map created by the user. The AEQ TP9116 panels offer “Talk” and “Listen” functions, as well as individual volume control foreach communication point, using four-way toggle keys, with 16 crossover point keys and fourpages, accompanied by four RGB graphic displays. The front panel also includes a gooseneckelectret microphone, an internal speaker, and a Mini-XLR connector for headsets. Within theTP9000 panel family, there are two user panel formats and one expansion panel available: rackpanel (TP9116), desktop panel (TP9416), and expansion panel (EP9116). This important project in Egypt has been led entirely by ENMA's technical engineering, projects, and operations team, together with AEQ's central services in Madrid and the valuable support ofthe company's local partner, WHASH, in the country. For more information about ENMA, visit https://www.maspero.eg/ For more information about AEQ or the equipment and systems it manufactures and its projects, visit www.aeq.eu, send an email to aeqsales@aeq.es, or call +34 91 686 1300.
17 December 2025
