Norkring

Norkring AS

Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Broadcasting
Founded	1995
Headquarters	Fornebu, Norway
Employees	126 (2011)
Website	www.norkring.com

Norkring AS is a Norwegian company owned by Telenor. The Norwegian part of the company is responsible for the terrestrial broadcast of radio and television channels in Norway. The company operates 6,500 antennas and 47 main stations. Norkring has built out the DTT and operates the DTT network in Norway with 5 multiplexes nationwide(95% coverage) and approximately 500 satellite shadow transmitters. All in all they now operate more than 3000 DTT transmitters. The company has since 2008 expanded into Belgium (Flanders) and Slovenia.

Norkring België N.V. is a subsidiary of Norkring, established on March 5th 2009. The new company is a carve-out from the Belgian public broadcaster VRT. The administration is located in Brussels, while the technical operations is managed from St-Pieters-Leeuw. The shareholders of Norkring België N.V. are Norkring AS (75%) and Participatiemaatschappij Vlaanderen (nvdv: Participation Society Flanders) (25%).

Norkring België has been awarded the licence to plan, build and operate the new DTT multiplexes in Flanders, and has also been awarded the DAB licence, both for 15 years.

Norkring d.o.o. in Slovenia was chosen by the Agency for Post and Electronic Communications (APEK), as the operator of the second digital terrestrial broadcasting network (MUX B) in the area of the Republic of Slovenia, on 19th December 2008. The license is valid for a period of ten years. Norkring d.o.o is a fully owned subsidiary of Norkring AS. Norkring d.o.o. holds the license for DVB-T MUX B, which is a national mux planned for commercial broadcasting. The project for planning, building and operating the Multiplex in Slovenia started with a test network in December 2009 and Norkring launched MUX B in September 2010.

History

In 1996, Norkring was established as an independent legal entity with the intention to own and operate the transmitting stations and broadcasting services for NRK. NRK is the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation and the largest media house in Norway. The objective for NRK was to focus on its core business, and started to withdraw from operating transmission stations. Norkring took more and more over the responsibility.

Initially, 40 % was owned by Telenor, and 60 % was owned by NRK. In 1999 Norkring became 100% owned by Telenor, and operated most of the terrestrial broadcasting transmission stations in Norway.

Technology

The development of digital networks is a continuing process. European countries have started shutting down their analogue networks. Norkring has been responsible for an extensive roll-out of DVB-T, DAB and digital transmission networks.

Digital Video Broadcasting Terrestrial(DVB-T)

DVB-T is the network for digital transmission of audio and video, replacing the analogue terrestrial network. Digital television opens up for more television channels, better sound and better picture quality.

Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB)

DAB is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format.

DAB-radios have many functions. The different manufacturers use different descriptions on the specifications. Here are explanations on some of the functions:

Radio Text/ DynamicLabelSegment: the text service on several radio channels Service Follow: the radio switches between FM and DAB, depending on the coverage Program Names: displays the channel's name Program Type: describes type of channel Announcements: types of sounds: traffic, weather, news, sport, etc. EPG – Electronic Program Guide: overview over radio programs and detailed information about the programs SLS – Slide Show: sends picture through the network Signal Strength: useful signal strength indicator to find places with good signal strength

Digital Radio Mondiale(DRM)

DRM is the universal digital system for short-, medium- and long-wave digital radio, for frequencies below 30 MHz. Norkring participates actively in the groups for technical development, commercialisation and test programs.

Some of the objectives for DRM are:

• offer a digital standard globally
• deliver better quality of sound and reception
• user-friendly system
• offer better services, such as text, data and pictures
• radio bought in any country, will function everywhere
• secure flexible and independent radio

Digital Video Broadcasting Handheld (DVB-H)

DVB-H is the standard for transmission of digital television to handheld devices. Norkring/Telenor has carried out and participated in various pilot-projects for DVB-H.