2RN[1] is the trading name of RTÉ Transmission Network DAC,[2] a wholly owned subsidiary of
Raidió Teilifís Éireann, formerly trading as RTÉNL, which runs Ireland's principal digital terrestrial television and radio broadcast networks. In December 2002 it became an incorporated company and subsidiary of RTÉ; it was previously a division within RTÉ. It operates 12 main TV and radio transmitter sites and many smaller relays and transposers, which carry television and/or radio. It also provides site hosting for mobile telephone operators, the emergency services, wireless broadband and other private mobile communications service providers.
In April 2013 a repositioning[3] was carried out to provide "arm's length" broadcast transmission services to all national TV and radio broadcasters. The repositioning renamed and rebranded RTÉNL to 2RN (the name comes from the original Irish Radio service known as
2RN. A new board of directors was appointed with an independent chairman and its headquarters was located in Tallaght, across the city from its owner's campus at Donnybrook in Dublin.
Carried content
Saorview is carried from all 64 TV transmitter sites.[4]
The 4
PSB FM radio stations
RTÉ Radio 1,
RTÉ 2fm,
RTÉ lyric fm and
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta are carried, although not all on every transmitter or relay,.[5] The longwave radio transmitter (closed 2023) had carried
RTÉ Radio 1 only on the 252 kHz frequency, with some alternative (to FM) content (Religious services and Sports - now digital only).
Commercial radio broadcaster
Today FM is also carried on most main sites as well as many relays and many
Independent Local Radio stations use the local 2RN transmission site.
Digital upgrades
Television: Saorview, Saorsat
2rn having built and commissioned the new digital infrastructure, is also the body responsible for day-to-day running and operating the platform providing 98% population coverage at ASO in October 2012. Broadcasting is done via
DVB-T, using
MPEG-4 video compression and
MPEG 1 Layer II audio compression.
Saorsat will cover the remaining 2% not covered by DTT due to terrain issues using
narrowband Ka satellite from June 2011. For more on these see
Saorview article
RTÉ (via 2RN) are licensed by Comreg to operate and maintain 2 Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) multiplexes (or muxes) on the Saorview
Digital terrestrial television service.[6] Both muxes are operational.
Radio
A trial
DAB service was operated in three main urban areas (Dublin, Cork & Limerick) and the north-east of the country, from 4 transmitters on Multiplex 12C to approx 56% of the population.
The Clarkestown LW transmitter was equipped for, and had been used to carry trial
Digital Radio Mondiale transmissions in the past, but there are no public plans to resume this.