2RN
TypeCommunications network operator
PredecessorRTÉNL
Founded7 December 2002
Headquarters
Cookstown Court, Old Belgard Road, Tallaght, Dublin 24
Area served
Ireland
ServicesSaorview, Saorsat, Telecoms distribution
ParentRaidió Teilifís Éireann
Websitehttp://www.2rn.ie

2RN[1] is the trading name of RTÉ Transmission Network DAC,[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.

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. 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.

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 (closed 2023) had carried RTÉ Radio 1 only on the 252 kHz frequency, with some alternative (to FM) content (Religious services and Sports - now digital only).

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

A trial DAB service was operated 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.

RTÉ ceased DAB transmissions on 31 March 2021.[7]

The Clarkestown LW transmitter was equipped for, and had been used to carry trial Digital Radio Mondiale transmissions in the past, but there are no public plans to resume this.

Transmission sites

Main sites for DTT and FM radio


Relay transmitters

Transmitters no longer active

These sites are (in some cases) either completely decommissioned or still in use for telecommunications operators.

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. ↑ "RTÉ to cease DAB transmission, digital radio services to remain – About RTÉ". about.rte.ie. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
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