27 MARCH 2009 -- RAS (Rundfunk-Anstalt Südtirol) is now upgrading and extending its network with additional transmitter sites, now reaching about 30 transmitters in the area of Südtirol, Italy. RAS is the public broadcasting company in Südtirol and distributes all the German speaking TV and radio broadcasts in this North Italian region. In the beginning of 2007, RAS selected Net Insight's (search Lightwave for NetInsight) Nimbra platform for a small initial phase of its DTT network rollout and continued to expand during 2008.
Besides the main requirement for cost-efficient transport of ASI video streams and digital radio (DAB) with guaranteed quality of service, RAS was challenged with the topographical conditions of the mountainous region. Reliability was another crucial network design factor, which made RAS to deploy a fully redundant network with Nimbra 360 units.
Net Insight's Nimbra Vision also has been implemented for network management and the Time Transfer feature for GPS-free time synchronization is installed in the network.
"The Nimbra platform enables us to easily and cost-efficiently transport multiple services in our network at the highest possible quality levels," says Johann Silbernagl at RAS. "With the new Time Transfer feature, we can also implement a single frequency network. SFN networks are mandatory after the analog TV switch-off, which is scheduled by the Italian Authority within November 2009 for the area Trentino-Südtirol."
The Nimbra 360 was designed for digital terrestrial media networks and its multicast capabilities allow distribution of both digital TV and radio. DTT networks often require an SFN where the transmitter stations must be fully synchronized. The integrated Time Transfer feature of the Nimbra platform allows highly accurate distribution of real time over the same network that carries the video signals, says NetInsight.
"We are delighted to support RAS in their continued network evolution," says Fredrik Trägårdh, chief executive officer of Net Insight. "Our Time Transfer feature reduces the total network investment since GPS receivers are no longer needed at the transmitter sites, improving the operating efficiency and reducing operating costs thanks to more reliable and secure operation."
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