#Netherlands #Amsterdam #UWB Technology #SMiT #Presence-Aware TV

SMiT Unveils Innovative UWB-Enabled CI+ 2.0 Dongle at IBC2026

At the IBC2026 event held from September 11 to September 14, SMiT, a prominent global provider of secure TV-access hardware, introduced an innovative solution poised to transform viewer experiences—its CI+ 2.0 USB dongle empowered with Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology. This launch highlights SMiT's efforts to cater to Free-TV and Pay-TV operators who are increasingly in need of enhanced audience engagement tools.

The new Presence-Aware TV platform marks a significant advancement in how audiences interact with television. Combining advanced hardware with cutting-edge technology, it allows broadcasters to achieve a better understanding of viewer preferences while ensuring privacy. By integrating various technologies including SMiT's secure hardware, TrueSense UWB technology for precise device positioning, The Hashgraph Group's BrandBoost services, and Sofia Digital's user interface expertise, the platform offers a holistic approach to viewer engagement.

Interactive Features of the Platform

One of the standout features of this innovative system is how it turns traditional television viewing into an interactive experience. The UWB-enabled dongle connects effortlessly to compatible integrated digital TVs (iDTV), eliminating the need for cumbersome set-top boxes. This upgrade is especially vital as viewing habits shift from passive consumption to interactive engagement, which has become necessary in the age of digital advertising.

Moreover, the system utilizes TrueSense technology to accurately link a viewer's smartphone or tag to the television. By doing so, it can measure proximity and relative positioning. These capabilities allow for personalized content delivery and a more engaging user experience, enabling operators to maintain vital relationships with their customers through interactive engagement strategies.

Newly developed use cases highlight the platform's potential:

• - Live Sports Prediction Games: Viewers can participate in real-time prediction and polling games during sports broadcasts, with rewards for users who make accurate predictions.
• - Ad Trivia Overlays: Interactive trivia games presented during commercial breaks offer vouchers or credits to participants based on responses, keeping engagement levels high even during advertisements.
• - Personalized Menus and Offers: Content adjustments based on viewer profiles can enhance users' experience and make their engagement more meaningful.
• - Location-based Authentication: High security can be maintained with location data that relates to account safety, thus addressing concerns regarding password sharing and unauthorized access.

For advertising operators, the ability to gather precise engagement data is paramount, especially as budgets increasingly shift towards digital strategies. The Presence-Aware platform provides an opportunity to move beyond generic viewership statistics by offering permission-based metrics. Engagement events can even be recorded on the Hedera Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) platform, providing transparent measurement for campaign effectiveness and facilitating token-based reward systems.

Live Demonstrations and Future Applications

Visitors to the SMiT booth—Stand 2.C36—at IBC2026 were invited to witness live demonstrations showcasing how the UWB dongle seamlessly associates with an enabled smartphone as it approaches the TV. The on-site experience illustrated a unified hardware and software interaction, demonstrating the future of interactive TV based on proximity and personalized content delivery.

The architecture of the platform also offers scalability, enabling operators to create user-friendly interfaces, enhance engagement during live sports, and develop targeted advertising campaigns without needing to overhaul their existing TV infrastructure. This UWB-enabled dongle promises to be a valuable addition for Pay-TV operators and conditional-access providers, allowing new innovative services to be implemented efficiently.

As television transitions towards interactivity and engagement, SMiT's innovative CI+ 2.0 dongle stands at the frontier of this evolution, reshaping how we interact with our screens while fostering a closer connection between operators and their audiences. More information about this groundbreaking platform can be found on their official website at SMiT.