2RN (RTÉ Networks)

2RN[1] is the trading name of RTÉ Transmission Network Ltd,[2] a wholly owned subsidiary of Raidió Teilifís Éireann, formerly trading as RTÉNL, which runs Ireland's principal digital terrestrial television and radio broadcast networks. In December 2002 it became an incorporated company and subsidiary of RTÉ, it was previously a division within RTÉ. It operates 12 main TV and radio transmitter sites and many smaller relays and transposers, which carry television and/or radio. It also provides site hosting for mobile telephone operators, the emergency services, wireless broadband and other private mobile communications service providers.

2RN
TypeCommunications network operator
PredecessorRTÉNL
FoundedDecember 2002
Headquarters
Cookstown Court, Old Belgard Road, Tallaght, Dublin 24
Area served
Ireland
ServicesSaorview, Saorsat, Telecoms distribution
ParentRaidió Teilifís Éireann
Websitehttp://www.2rn.ie

In April 2013 a repositioning[3] was carried out to provide "arm's length" broadcast transmission services to all national TV and radio broadcasters. The repositioning renamed and rebranded RTÉNL to 2RN (the name comes from the original Irish Radio service known as 2RN (derived from "To Éireann" ). A new board of directors was appointed with an independent chairman and its headquarters was located in Tallaght, across the city from its owner's campus at Donnybrook in Dublin.

RTÉ NL

Carried content

Saorview is carried from all 64 TV transmitter sites.[4]

The 4 PSB FM radio stations RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ 2fm, RTÉ lyric fm and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta are carried, although not all on every transmitter or relay,.[5] The longwave radio transmitter carries RTÉ Radio 1 only on the 252 kHz frequency.

Commercial radio broadcaster Today FM is also carried on most main sites as well as many relays and many Independent Local Radio stations use the local 2RN transmission site.

Digital upgrades

Television: Saorview, Saorsat

2rn having built and commissioned the new digital infrastructure, is also the body responsible for day-to-day running and operating the platform providing 98% population coverage at ASO in October 2012. Broadcasting is done via DVB-T, using MPEG-4 video compression and MPEG 1 Layer II audio compression.

Saorsat will cover the remaining 2% not covered by DTT due to terrain issues using narrowband Ka satellite from June 2011. For more on these see Saorview article

RTÉ (via 2RN) are licensed by Comreg to operate and maintain 2 Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) multiplexes (or muxes) on the Saorview Digital terrestrial television service.[6] Both muxes are operational.

Radio

2RN have slowly deployed a DAB broadcast network[7] which is currently only available in three main urban areas (Dublin, Cork & Limerick) and the north-east of the country, from 4 transmitters on Multiplex 12C to approx 56% of the population. Currently only RTÉ are licensed to operate a DAB multiplex but in the past, a private multiplex has operated on two transmitters on a trial licence. DAB in Ireland carries details of the channels carried.

The Clarkestown LW transmitter is equipped for, and has been used to carry Digital Radio Mondiale transmissions in the past, but there are no public plans to continue this.

Transmission sites

Main sites for DTT, FM radio and DAB digital radio

LW Radio

Relay transmitters

Transmitters no longer active

References
  1. Companies Registration Office (Ireland) No. 489832
  2. Companies Registration Office (Ireland) No. 364909
  3. RTÉ press release - 23 July 2012 "RTÉ announces Repositioning of RTÉNL"
  4. SAORVIEW Frequencies and Transmission sites
  5. Radio Frequencies and Transmitter sites
  6. ComReg issued two DTT multiplex licences to RTÉ, one in December 2007 the other in May 2011. Archived 2013-07-21 at the Wayback Machine
  7. DAB Network
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