dB Broadcast Win Arqiva PIE Contract

An independent system integrator and manufacturer has won a major contract from Arqiva to supply and install the Programme Input Equipment (PIE) at 90 transmitter sites as part of digital switchover (DSO).
DSO is already well underway in the UK with Arqiva upgrading the entire terrestrial television infrastructure by 2012.
dB Broadcast is the UK's leading supplier of Programme Input Equipment (PIE) racks for monitoring and switching signals at transmitter sites and the company will customise the PIE configuration to meet the customer's exact requirements.
The first full switchover was at the Selkirk transmitter group in November 2008 and this was followed by the West Country.
The next region to stop analogue transmission and become fully digital is Wales in late 2009.
Currently more than two thirds of UK homes have digital television, but by 2012 DSO will deliver full-power digital television signals from all transmission sites across the country.
dB is supplying more than 550 bays across the 90 key sites.
Prefabrication and testing is being done at dB’s factory and installation carried out by dB’s in-house technicians.
The project includes approximately 500 Hawkeye frames with 3,000 modules, which include B080 series and B049 ASI monitor/switch modules and B102 DVB-T COFDM receivers.
dB Broadcast is also responsible for the onsite cabling from the sites’ incoming programme feeds to the inputs of the transmitters and the installation of the IT network, remote alarm and RF monitoring infrastructure. This includes RF, ASI and Ethernet cabling, some of which is fibre.
Tom Swan, Sales and Marketing Director commented: "dB Broadcast is pleased to be part of such a large and prestigious project and is testimony to dB's expertise in providing PIE systems and the quality of the Hawkeye product range."
(BMcN/BMcC)