Digital terrestrial television in the Republic of Ireland

The deployment of digital terrestrial television in Republic of Ireland has taken some time with the first small tests being carried out in 1998. In 2002 saw the cancellation and non-award of the DTT commercial licence and transmission network sale. In August 2006, a major national DTT trail began in conjuntion with major television channels in the Republic of Ireland including RTE, TV3, TG4 and 3e (formely Channel 6). By 2008 the BCI (Broadcasting Commssion of Ireland) announced that three groups had come together with proposals to manage commercial DTT in the Republic of Ireland which was awarded to Boxer DTT Ltd.

Historical Testing

DVB-T has repeatedly been tested from RTÉ Network Limited's Three Rock Mountain transmitter, with relatively long tests in 1998 and 2001, and shorter tests in 2004, with a single multiplex carrying the four Irish analogue terrestrial channels, and Tara Television while it was in existence, on both UHF (channel 26) and VHF (channel D). These were under temporary licences for testing, which are regularly awarded.

Failed DTT launch and network sale

A contract to run a nationwide system, with six multiplexes from main sites, and four from relay sites was awarded in 2001 to ITS Digital Limited, led by former RTÉ executive, Mr Peter Branagan and trading as "It's TV", who intended to launch a pay TV and broadband service. ITS wanted to offer broadband internet access using the DVB-RCT standard (which while high bandwidth at up to 30 Mb/s, is not fast enough with 20,000 people on one mast). They had no broadband licence and no viable business plan without selling broadband, and due to lack of funding withdrew its application in Oct 2002.

The government also planned to privatise RTÉ's transmission network at this time but this too failed in Oct 2002 following the withdrawal of ITS Digital Limited DTT licence application and a number of other factors. [1] [2]

Trial testing August 2006-July 2008

Nine groups applied to run content on the DTT trials as well as potentially run the network in the future. Seven of these were successful:

• Channel 6
• Chellomedia (owned by the same company as NTL Ireland and Chorus Communications)
• Communicorp
• eircom and RTÉ (joint bid)
• Magnet Networks
• Sky Ireland
• USP

BT Ireland and TVONE also applied but were not successful.

Trial Multiplexes

• Mux1 (MPEG2)- Ch.54 (Three Rock) Ch.53 (Claremont) - Reserved for existing terrestrial services
• Mux2 (MPEG2)- Ch.61 (Three Rock) Ch.57 ?(Claremont) - Reserved for selected "content managers"
• Mux3 (MPEG2)- Ch.58 (Three Rock) Ch.60 (Claremont) - Half reserved for selected "content managers", half reserved for unspecified use)
• Mux4 (MPEG4)- Ch.64 (Three Rock) Ch.?? (Claremont) - Reserved for "innovative content".
• Mux5 & 6 - reserved for "innovative content"

The current DTT system begun initial building phase in 2006 under a Department of Communications trial facilitated by RTÉ Networks at Three Rock, Dublin & Louth's Claremont Carn transmitters.
The trial ended on July 31st 2008.

RTÉNL DTT Engineering Test Transmissions

RTÉ Networks Limited (RTÉNL) is a subsidiary of RTÉ and is responsible for building the DTT national network. Following the end of the trial RTÉNL began DTT engineering test transmissions of Irish TV & Radio channels with MPEG4 compression in early August 2008. The engineering test transmissions will continue during the DTT network build and is estimated that this build work will take a number of years to complete.

All MPEG2 channel transmissions ceased when the trial ended and MPEG2 only TVs or boxes will no longer pick up the Irish channels after that date in Dublin & Louth. The other channels that were scrambled during the trial are no longer available following the ending of the two year trial.

EPG information using the MHEG-5 standard is currently provided for approximately one week ahead.

National DTT Plan

It is expected that DTT will launch to the viewing public on a phased basis from Autumn 2009.

Ireland will use the DVB-T standard with MPEG-4 compression. MHEG-5 will be used for epg and interactive services.

The Broadcasting (Amendment) Act 2007 assigned one multiplex to RTÉ to ensure the continued availability of the four existing free-to-air services in Ireland – that is, RTÉ 1, RTÉ 2, TG4 and TV3. RTÉ will establish and run this DTT multiplex independently of BCI-licensed multiplexes in fulfilment of its public-service obligations.

Under the 2007 Act, the BCI is required to licence commercial DTT in the State. In the first instance, the BCI will seek to licence three DTT multiplex operators for the establishment, maintenance and roll-out of commercial DTT in Ireland.

In the future one further multiplex will be assigned to RTÉ and one multiplex to the BCI for licensing.

A public DTT Information Campaign is planned from March 2009.

Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) DTT Multiplex Licensing 2008

The Commission engaged in two phases of targeted consultation to assist in the development of its DTT Multiplex Licensing Policy. These consultations ran from May to December 2007 and involved the production of a comprehensive consultation document outlining policy proposals in relation to DTT licensing and the commissioning of independent research on DTT.

The BCI launched the commercial multiplex processes with a minimum of twenty-four channels specified. Interested parties submitted their applications as specified in ads in National Papers on Friday March 7th 2008.

The BCI’s application process for the DTT multiplex contracts ran for a period of eight weeks. The application document sought a considerable amount of information including: proposals for programming; financial and business plan; the transmission/multiplexing proposals as well as details regarding the shareholding and management of the applicant group.

Nine applicants consisting of 3 bid consortiums for all 3 muxes made presentations to the Commission, which was open to the public at 1:30pm in the Westbury Hotel, Grafton Street, Dublin 2 on the 12 May 2008 and the award of contract was offered to the most suitable bid team shortly after July 21, 2008 following evaluation by the BCI on the applications received.

The BCI on 21 July 2008 announced Boxer DTT Ltd trading as Boxer as the sole winner to operate the three commercial multiplexes. Boxer DTT Ltd is a consortium made up of Communicorp, Boxer TV Access in Sweden and BT Ireland. The award of the contracts is subject to clarifications and the successful outcome of contract negotiations.

The Boxer service was provisionally to be roll out from January 2009, the latest reports suggest an official launch in autumn 2009 to co-ordinate Free-to-air and Pay DTT launch, with extension of geographical coverage from 75% to 93% (Boxer) / 98% (RTÉ Mux) by 2013. [3]

Channel line-up for Engineering Test Transmissions

All channels are encoded in MPEG4

TV

• 1 - RTÉ One (free-to-air)
• 2 - RTÉ Two (free-to-air)
• 3 - TV3 (free-to-air)
• 4 - TG4 (free-to-air)

Radio

• RTÉ Radio 1 (free-to-air)
• RTÉ 2fm (free-to-air)
• RTÉ lyric fm (free-to-air)
• RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta (free-to-air)

See also

• Boxer TV Ireland
• Digital television in Ireland
• Digital terrestrial television
• List of digital television deployments by country
• Television in Ireland
• The Irish Film Channel

External links

Consultation & Regulation

• [4] Broadcasting (Amendment) Act 2007
• [5]Department of Communications Press Release - Commencement Order signed for Broadcasting (Amendment) Act 2007
• [6]S.I. No.158 of 2007 — Broadcasting (Amendment) Act 2007 (Commencement) Order 2007
• Broadcasting Bill 2008
• [7]ComReg Consultation "Licensing Digital Terrestrial Television", Document 07/65
• [8]ComReg "Response to Licensing Digital Terrestrial Television", Document 07/90
• [9]ComReg " Licence for Digital Terrestrial Television", Document 07/90a
• [10]ComReg "Technical Conditions for Digital Terrestrial Television", Document 07/90b
• [11]ComReg "ComReg published Licence framework for Digital Terrestrial Television", Document PR091107
• [12]S.I. No.796 of 2007 - Broadcasting Amendment Act (Digital Terrestrial Television Licence Fees) Regulations, 2007
• [13]S.I. No.198 of 2008 - Wireless Telegraphy (Digital Terrestrial Television Licence) Regulations, 2008

Regulator Links

• [14]Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (DCENR) - Government Dept responsible for Broadcasting Regulation
• [15]Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) - Irish Broadcasting Radio Spectrum Regulator
• [16]Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) - Independent Statutory Organisation (responsible for licensing television and radio services in Ireland)
• [17] Digital TV Ireland - Government DTT information website

Multiplex Operators

• [18]RTÉ Transmission Network Limited (RTÉNL) Transmission Network Operator
• [19] RTÉNL proposed schedule of tariffs for DTT (Feb2008)
• [20] RTE plans to invest €120 million in new digital network roll-out - Sunday Business Post March 02, 2008
• [21]RTÉ (1 multiplex)
• [22] Boxer Ireland (3 multiplexes)

Minimum Receiver Requirements for DTT in Ireland

• [23] Minimum Receiver Requirements for DTT in Ireland v1.0 (Feb2008)
• [24] NorDig Unified Requirements v2.0 (Jul2008)
• [25] Minimum Receiver Requirements for FTA DTT for RTÉ v1.0 (Issue 1 19.12.2008), Additions and clarifications to NorDig Unified Requirements 2.0
• [26] Minimum Receiver Requirements for the DTT Network (Boxer) (Sweden, Denmark and Ireland) v2.0(C) (18.8.2008) - Additions and clarifications to the NorDig Unified specification

DTT Multiplex Licence Contracts Award Process

• [27] BCI DTT Consultation November 2007
• [28] BCI DTT Multiplex Licensing Policy 2008
• [29] BCI announces details of DTT multiplex licensing process - Press Releases (Mar2008)
• [30] BCI announces DTT applicant details - Press Releases (May2008)
• [31] DTT Multiplex Contracts: Applications received (May2008)
• [32] BCI issues decision on DTT Multiplex contracts - Press Release (Jul2008)

DTT Trial 2006-2008

• [33] Digital TV network plan major boost in bid to sell concept - Irish Independent March 18 2004
• [34] Minister Announces Procurement Process to Develop a Digital Terrestrial Television Pilot in Ireland (Jun2005)
• [35] DTT Trial General Information
• [36] Minister Announces Roll-Out of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) Pilot in Ireland (May2006)
• [37] Minister Announces Application Process Inviting Content Providers to take part in DTT Trial in Ireland (Jun2006)
• [38] Minister Announces Launch of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) Pilot in Ireland (Aug2006)
• [39] BCI - 9 applications received for multiplex programme content managers (Aug2006)
• [40] Outcome of the Selection Process for Multiplex Programme Content Managers (Nov2006)
• [41] Minister announces end of Digital Terrestrial Television trial (Jul2008)
• [42] Report on the Digital Terrestrial Television Trial (Nov2008)

Digital News Sites

• [43] DVB Project - Ireland
• [44] DigiTAG - Ireland
• [45] Digital TV Group - Ireland

Other

• [46] MAVISE : Database on television channels and TV companies in the European Union - Ireland
• [47] RTÉ Digital Television and Radio in Ireland - An Introduction (Jul2005)
• [48] European public services broadcaster has placed an order for Net Insight’s Nimbra platform (Nov2007)
• [49] Net Insight selected to supply Nimbra equipment for the DTT distribution network in Ireland (May2008)
• [50] RTÉNL selects Rohde & Schwarz transmitters for Ireland’s digital TV network (Aug2008)
• [51] Ireland’s RTÉNL Chooses Harris Corporation’s Zandar Predator II Multiviewer Solution for Network Monitoring Centre Expansion (Sept2008)

Digital Switchover / Digital Dividend

• [52] EU Switchover Policy from Analogue to Digital Broadcasting
• [53] Digital Switchover in Ireland
• [54] RTÉ Advisory Note to the European Commission concerning RTÉ's approach to Digital Switchover in Ireland (Aug2007)
• [55]Digital Television Switchover Plan - Ireland’s Intentions With Regard to the Transition from Analogue to Digital Broadcasting (Jul2008)
• [56] Information from EU Member States regarding roll out of digital terrestrial TV and switch off of analogue terrestrial TV (Jul2008)
• [57] Switchover to digital TV must be promoted, forum told - The Irish Times September 19, 2008
• [58] EU National Switchover Plans
• [59] DigiTAG Switching off analogue television
• [60] The Digital Dividend Ireland & EU - Joint communiqué from Commissioner Viviane Reding and Minister Eamon Ryan (Oct2008)
• [61] The Digital Dividend: A unique opportunity for Europe's wireless economy - Commissioner Viviane Reding (Oct2008)
• [62] ComReg’s Annual Conference 2008 "How Ireland can best benefit from its digital dividend" (Dublin, 1 October 2008) [63] [64] [65] [66] [67]

Forum/Blogs

• [68] Boards.ie Terrestrial Forum
• [69] irish-tv.com/digital
• [70] rte2fta.com/