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Norkring Places Second Contract for Harris Transmitters to Support Norway’s Transition to DAB Digital Radio
Norkring selects Harris to provide DAB radio to 99.5% of the Norwegian population
Denver, CO, October 24, 2012
Harris Broadcast Communications has received a second multi-million dollar Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) digital radio contract from Norwegian broadcast network operator Norkring to support the country’s continuing analog-to-digital radio broadcast transition. The contract represents the third phase of the network, and is an extension to the existing agreement to support the world’s largest DAB Digital Radio network.
Following Norkring’s successful tender with Norwegian broadcaster, NRK, to expand the coverage of the DAB public radio network from 90 to 99.5 percent of the country’s population, Norkring has ordered several hundred more Harris transmitters with power ratings between 50 W and 600 W. As with the first two deployment phases, Harris will supply Platinum™ VAX VHF transmitters with the company’s PowerSmart® transmitter architecture to significantly reduce energy consumption.
Norway intends to cease FM radio broadcasts in 2017, becoming the first country to plan a complete switch-off of all analog FM services. After this date, the country will use DAB digital radio technology for all audio transmissions, including being one of several networks used by disaster and emergency services.
The decision to award the contracts to Harris is driven by business and technological considerations. Standardizing on one equipment brand enhances spare parts inventories and maintenance schedules. Furthermore, Norkring believes that Harris offers the most compact and energy-efficient DAB transmitters on the market. The Platinum VAX VHF transmitters are also the latest generation of a proven product family, with one of the longest product lifetimes of any digital radio transmitter.
“This was not a shoe-in decision based on Harris winning the initial tender. We have looked closely at the various options available on the market and Harris is preferred because of product efficiency, support and cost,” said Torbjørn Ø. Teigen, CEO of Norkring. “The decision across the whole of Norway to cease FM broadcasts in 2017 and move over to a DAB network is ambitious. We need the right kind of technical collaborator in this exciting project and we are confident that Harris is the right collaborator for us.”
Upon completion of phase three, nearly 1000 digital radio broadcast transmitters and a similar number of road tunnel transmitters will have been installed across Norway. The network extends more than 2500 kilometers (1553 miles) from Lindesnes in the south to the North Cape in the north of Norway.
“Norkring is an exceptional company and has embarked on a project that is unprecedented in scale and its mission-critical nature,” said Phil Arygris, vice president and general manager, transmission systems, Harris Broadcast Communications. “Our continued research, development and innovation for DAB radio transmission ensures that we can offer the most modern and advanced solutions on the market, proven by our market-leading share of installed DAB transmission systems.”
About Norkring
Norkring is part of the Telenor Group, one of the largest mobile operators in the world with 140 million subscribers. Norkring develops, builds and operates the DTT and DAB, terrestrial broadcasting in Norway and Belgium. The company is today Norway’s largest provider of broadcasting services, providing nationwide transmissions networks for TV and Radio. Norkring is the owner of a large amount of terrestrial transmitters; 47 main transmitter sites and 2700 smaller sites, containing more than 7000 transmitters spread throughout Norway.
About Harris Broadcast Communications
Harris Broadcast Communications offers products, systems and services that provide interoperable workflow solutions for broadcast, cable, satellite and out-of-home networks. The Harris ONE™ solution brings together highly integrated and cost-effective products that enable advanced media workflows for emerging content delivery business models. Additional information about Harris Broadcast Communications is available at www.broadcast.harris.com.
