NetActuate introduced a managed Media over QUIC (MoQ) relay service on September 8, 2026, designed to assist broadcasters and streaming platforms in migrating away from traditional satellite distribution. The service enables media organizations to publish a single live feed to a relay, which then distributes the content to subscribers from edge capacity positioned geographically close to the end users.
The MoQ Relay service functions as the third pillar in the company’s media-specific portfolio, joining the existing Media Substrate and the C-Band Transition Acceleration Service. By leveraging the company’s proprietary global edge infrastructure, the platform allows for contribution and distribution to be managed by a single operator rather than fragmented across multiple third-party transit providers.
Mark Mahle, the chief executive officer at NetActuate, noted that the primary challenge for teams evaluating MoQ adoption remains the operational burden of managing the relay infrastructure. The company intends to solve this by providing the underlying network layer, allowing broadcasters to focus on content delivery rather than the complexities of maintaining relay nodes.
The technical architecture of the service relies on the open-standard MoQ protocol to maintain existing transport-stream workflows while scaling through relays. Internal testing conducted by the company demonstrated that a single relay could increase video output by a factor of sixteen without requiring additional backbone capacity, effectively decoupling network costs from audience size.
Traffic routing within the system is managed through continuous measurement and active steering, ensuring that data paths are dynamically adjusted when degradation occurs. Each session is pinned to a stable per-location address, which allows the underlying routing logic to change independently without disrupting the stream for the end user.
The service is specifically engineered to address the inherent volatility of internet-based transport, which often lacks the deterministic performance of satellite links. By operating its own network rather than relying on rented transit, NetActuate provides a controlled environment where paths are measured continuously. This active steering mechanism ensures that traffic is rerouted in real-time if a specific path experiences latency or packet loss, maintaining the stability required for live broadcast environments.
Capacity is distributed across more than 45 locations worldwide, allowing broadcasters to place relay nodes in proximity to their target demographics. This localized approach minimizes the distance data must travel over the public internet, reducing the likelihood of congestion-related issues. Because the service is tenant-based, each broadcaster operates within its own isolated namespace, preventing the performance interference often associated with shared-infrastructure models.
The shift toward MoQ is driven by the global reduction of available satellite capacity, forcing distribution teams to seek more efficient internet-based transport methods. By utilizing edge-based relay nodes, broadcasters can maintain the low-latency requirements of live media while benefiting from the scalability inherent in a distributed relay model.
This managed approach addresses the specific operational friction points that often deter media companies from adopting newer, more efficient streaming protocols. By abstracting the network complexity, the service allows technical teams to evaluate the viability of MoQ as a direct replacement for legacy satellite workflows in a production-ready environment.
Mark de Jong, the vice president of business development at NetActuate, stated that the industry is currently shifting from protocol development toward practical deployment planning. A managed service model provides a pathway for organizations to test MoQ distribution patterns without the significant capital expenditure of building the entire stack in-house.
NetActuate is currently offering a no-charge evaluation deployment for qualified broadcasters and streaming platforms to test the service in selected locations. The company plans to demonstrate the technology and discuss implementation strategies during the upcoming IBC 2026 conference in Amsterdam. This initiative provides a critical opportunity for engineering teams to validate the protocol’s performance characteristics within their specific operational requirements while utilizing the firm’s global network footprint.