Harris completes $85m Romanian broadcast communications system

Harris Corporation has announced completion of the $85 million first phase of a comprehensive programme to upgrade and expand the nationwide broadcast infrastructure of S.N. Radiocomunicatii S.A., Romania's state-owned broadcast organization, nearly two years ahead of schedule.
Modernisation of Romania's aging broadcast communications system marks a critical step forward for Romania and its population, bringing the country up to date with the solid-state analogue technology favoured in Western Europe. Harris' end-to-end radio and television solution also provides S.N. Radiocomunicatii S.A. with a clear path to the digital future.
Phase 1 of the three-phase project, which is providing complete radio coverage throughout Romania, was completed in just 20 months instead of the anticipated four-and-a-half years.
Harris accelerated the project by dedicating the additional engineering and technical resources needed to establish nationwide radio coverage before Romania's election in November 2004. Harris supplied 28 low-power (10kW to 50kW) medium wave transmitters, eight high-power (200KW and 400KW) medium wave transmitters, and 106 FM radio transmitters for local coverage as well as longer distances of difficult terrain at sites throughout Romania. The range and diversity of transmitters was essential to ensure nationwide radio broadcast coverage for Romania's regional network and two national networks across urban areas and vast stretches of rural communities often divided by the Carpathian Mountains.
The end-to-end transmission solution also included antenna systems, microware links for resource sharing, engineering, installation, training and commissioning services. In addition, the first of many high- and low-power television transmitters and transposers were installed. The television installations begin upgrades to Romania's television transmission infrastructure, which will be expanded and completed during the remainder of the modernisation program. Furthermore, three control and monitoring networks will reduce operational costs at each station facility by enabling the remote monitoring of all radio and television transmission equipment from four regional headquarters.
Until now, it has been conservatively estimated that the country's aging broadcast technology reached less than 40% of Romania's 22.3 million.
Debra Huttenburg, Vice President and General Manager of Harris Broadcast Communications' Radio Broadcast Systems business unit, said: "Romania is showing Eastern Europe that the time to upgrade to solid-state analogue technology is now.
"This is a great example of how the move from antiquated tube technology to solid-state technology can provide significantly lower operating costs and higher reliability. Romania has not only undergone the single largest installation programme in radio history, but it has also ensured that there is a digital future in place for its entire broadcast communications infrastructure. The fact that Harris completed the first phase nearly two years ahead of schedule also demonstrates that we can deliver comprehensive broadcast systems no matter what size and scale."
(GB)