Advanced Television

Boxer wins Irish DTT

July 22, 2008

The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland has awarded – subject to contract – three national DTT multiplexes to a consortium of the Swedish DTT operator Boxer and the Communicorp Group, the Irish commercial radio group. They will have equal shares of a JV called of Boxer DTT Limited.
Assuming final negotiations are successful, Boxer will construct and operate three multiplexes due to be ready for broadcasting in 2009. The DTT licence will run for 12 years. The public broadcaster RTE has been gifted a multiplex that will carry the existing terrestrial services. “Ireland will be a major challenge. We will be competing with international pay-TV companies such as BSkyB and the cable-TV operator UPC,” said Per Norman, CEO at Boxer. The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland has awarded ‘subject to contract’ – three national DTT multiplexes to a consortium of the Swedish DTT operator Boxer and the Communicorp Group, the Irish commercial radio group. They will have equal shares of a JV called of Boxer DTT Limited.
Assuming final negotiations are successful, Boxer will construct and operate three multiplexes due to be ready for broadcasting in 2009. The DTT licence will run for 12 years. The public broadcaster RTE has been gifted a multiplex that will carry the existing terrestrial services. “Ireland will be a major challenge. We will be competing with international pay-TV companies such as BSkyB and the cable-TV operator UPC,” said Per Norman, CEO at Boxer.
Boxer, part of Sweden’s Teracom, beat out Easy TV (a joint venture between RTE and Liberty Global) and One Vision (comprising Eircom, Arqiva, Setanta and Ireland’s TV3).

Categories: Broadcast