Arqiva knock National Grid Wireless for six

The BBC announced today that it has selected Arqiva as its preferred supplier for a range of new digital transmission services.

Subject to agreement of final terms and other matters, the BBC hopes that it will soon be able to sign a contract with Arqiva for the design, deployment, and operation of a new high-powered digital terrestrial television ( DTT) network for the BBC which will come into service as part of the UK's digital switchover programme.

This will replace both the BBC's analogue television network and the current low-powered DTT network.

In so doing, the BBC will be able to increase the coverage of its DTT services so that they substantially replicate the coverage of analogue television.

These transmission services will become operational during 2008 and will continue until 2031.

Arqiva will also be responsible for building and operating additional transmitters to expand the coverage of the BBC's DAB digital radio network.

At least 10 and potentially a further 160 new transmitters will come into service starting in 2007.

This expansion in DAB transmission will make BBC DAB services available to listeners in a number of parts of the UK.

The exact locations of the transmitters are still to be agreed and the BBC hopes to confirm the precise details in due course.

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BBC Press Office

I bet that has rocked NGW.

Well, that's an interesting one.

Who'd have thought, a few years ago, that the BBC would be transmitted by the IBA?

Who'd have thought, a few years ago, that the BBC would be transmitted by a bunch of Aussie bankers?

Who'd have thought, a few years ago, that the BBC would be run by a bunch of bankers.

HSBBC, anyone?

A big blow for NGW.

It'll be Interesting to see what happens: As well as BBC analogue TV, BBC radio and Freeview; NGW still own all their sites. But what will happen at NGW landlord sites, will Arqiva be able to use their own sites for the next generation DTT (like they did with Ch5) or will they have to rent space from NGW?

Surely the "direction to point your aerial" issue will force the next generation of transmitters to be co-located with the current generation?

That, pretty well, means renting space, doesn't it?

In that case it could well be that NGW might not do that badly after analogue switchoff. They'll make quite a bit renting out space to Arqiva

Are they going to do something about the bitrates, or will it be staying at the **** Sub-FM audio quality we have at the moment? DAB isn't worth **** the state it's in at the moment, it's certinally not a suitable replacement for FM.

The next phase of DTT has been planned around using all the existing NGW and Arqiva sites. In any case there are plenty of NGW sites with no equivalent Arqiva mast nearby, and it would be impossible to even consider building extra 500-1000 ft masts to 'mirror' NGW's network. Ofcom controls how much NGW will charge Arqiva for the rental of mast and building space.

Remember also that NGW will still transmit Muxes C and D (they are 'owned' by NGW through their involvement in Freeview) although after DSO Mux C and D will only be transmitted from 200 sites, not the full network of 1154.

I'm sure NGW will now do all they can to grab the Mux 2 transmission contract away from Arqiva. Interesting times ahead I think