RTÉ Network Limited

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RTÉ Network Transmission Limited (RTÉNL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Radio Telefís Éireann which runs Ireland's principal terrestrial television and radio broadcast signal transmission networks. They operate 10 main sites, and over 100 smaller relays and transposers, which carry either television, radio, or both.

Contents

[edit] Carried content

Four television channels - RTÉ One, RTÉ Two, TV3 and TG4 - are carried from all main sites; with TV3 being dropped from all bar two relays. Either all three or four stations are on UHF, or RTÉ One and Two are on VHF and TV3 and TG4 on UHF.

Four FM radio stations are carried, although not all on every transmitter or auxiliary rely, RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ 2fm, RTÉ Lyric FM and Raidió na Gaeltachta. DAB transmitters add the World Radio Network to this. Longwave and Mediumwave radio transmitters carry Radio 1 Europe only.

Today FM is also carried on most main sites as well as many auxiliaries, and many Independent Local Radio stations use the local RTÉNL transmission site, as well as most sites carrying mobile telecoms kit for at least one of Ireland's four mobile telephone providers.

[edit] Digital upgrades

An initial frequency plan for a 6 multiplex digital terrestrial television system utilising the main RTÉ transmitters and upgrading the Woodcock Hill, Moville, and Kilduff auxiliary transmitters to full transmitter status. Higher-power television relays have been allocated 4 multiplexes.

The ITUs RRC 06 frequency plan allocates 8 UHF multiplexes to all main sites and a number of higher powered relays as well as a single VHF single frequency network to be run on a regional basis from main sites and a small number of relays.

DAB allocations for national and regional services also exist, with blocks 12A and 12C being licenced to broadcast nationally, and many other blocks allocated for regional. As these are SFN, it is highly likely that additional transmitters will be added later, but the main RTÉ sites are likely to be the first to carry DAB.

Currently, Three Rock Mountain and Clermont Carn are both carrying both DTT and DAB trials. These are "open" to the public insofar as the services are unencrypted and compatible with consumer grade hardware, but they have not been officially launched.

[edit] Transmission sites

[edit] Main sites

[edit] Auxiliary transmitters

Bolded entries will carry full digital terrestrial television service

[edit] References

  • [1]DTT License A-C (Commercial Muxes 1-3)Applicant Plans to the BCI
  • [2] DTT Tariff and Coverage indicative upgrade plan
  • [3]Irish Digital TV Information
  • [4] Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources Digital TV policy