Harris Corp. said it has completed the $85 million first phase of an upgrade and expansion of Romania's state-owned broadcast infrastructure. The first phase involved providing 100 percent radio coverage throughout Romania. Harris supplied 28 low power (10 kW to 50 kW) medium wave transmitters, eight high power (200 kW and 400 kW) medium wave transmitters and 106 FM radio transmitters. Harris said this number of transmitters was essential to ensure 100 percent nationwide coverage for Romania's regional network and two station networks in both urban and rural areas on both sides of the Carpathian Mountains.
Prior to the upgrade, it was estimated that Romania's broadcast system failed to reach up to 40 percent of Romania's population. Phase one of the project was limited to analog transmitters. Debra Huttenburg, VP and GM of the Harris Broadcast Communications' Radio Broadcast Systems business unit explained, "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 program 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."
The first phase of the project was completed in 20 months instead of the originally estimated four and one half years (54 months). Gabriel Grecu, president of S.N. Radiocomunicatii, Romania's state-owned broadcast organization, commented, "The ability to transmit high-quality radio and television broadcast signals throughout the country is crucial. Our previous system employed Eastern technology and frequency standards that were of poor quality and frequently unreliable. Our nationwide reception is now excellent, and we've harmonized our radio frequency bands with Western standards. We're even looking into digital audio broadcasting (DAB) for the Bucharest area. The whole project represents a huge improvement that benefits not just our broadcast capabilities, but Romanian society as a whole. What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that, due to the often-remote geography of Romania, there are really only six months of the year when many of these areas are accessible. The engineering, technology and co-ordination support of our Harris team was superb."
Harris said that in addition to the analog radio transmitters, it had also installed the first of many high and low-power TV transmitters and transposers. Upgrading the television broadcast system and installing remote control and monitoring networks is part of the next phase of the project.
This information is from the Harris news release Harris Corporation Completes $85 Million Phase 1 of Nationwide Romanian Broadcast Communications System.
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