With satellite technology expanding and diversifying rapidly, the day may not be far off when it becomes as ordinary as cable TV. Gradually, it has been reaching out to cover more regions and more areas, and its popularity still seems to be rising.

SAT-7, a Christian satellite television service to the Middle East and North Africa, has now made itself available in North America.

Terry Ascott of SAT-7 said that the popularity of Internet Protocol Television had increased by more than 40 percent in the last year, adding that it was one of the fastest growing television delivery systems in North America.

The Joozor Media Broadcasting IPTV (News - Alert) permits viewers to identify channels of their choice and send them to their TV's through the Internet. Although these channels have always been available on SAT-7's Web site, the quality has not been so good, but with IPTV, the quality is as good as any US channel.

One of the best things about this opportunity is that it costs SAT-7 nothing.

'It's great that we can extend our ministry to Arabic and Farsi and Turkish speakers in North America without any cost to the ministry. It's just another wonderful opportunity to touch lives,' Ascott said.

Speaking about the availability of Arabic channels, Ascott indicated that currently, two channels, SAT-7 ARABIC and SAT-7 KIDS, were the channels available through IPTV. Arabic speaking children in North America were inculcated into the Christian faith gradually with the educational programs that SAT-7 broadcast.

SAT-7 ARABIC is a slightly advanced version, which broadcasts life-giving, encouraging and informative Christian TV programs for every member of the family, instilling hope in millions of viewers.

Ascott anticipated that as demand among other immigrants to the United States and Canada increased, there would be a corresponding increase in the kind of channels IPTV would broadcast, and added that many viewers would be listening to the message of Christ for the first time, and it would be encouraging for them to be able to listen to it in their own language.

As a force responsible for dynamic change and constant innovation, Satellite Technology has made a tremendous impact, and through SAT-7, more and more viewers are searching for more information about Christianity, making it possible for the Church to reach out to them in a proactive manner.