Rai Way

Rai Way came into existence to manage the networks for the broadcasting and dissemination of Rai in February 2000 following the company branch contribution of the former Transmission and Broadcasting Department (Divisione Trasmissione e Diffusione).

The resources transferred to Rai Way included ownership of infrastructure, plants and related assets, as well as the expertise needed for the planning, design, installation, construction, operation, management and maintenance of the network for the broadcasting of voice, video and data signals.

Rai Way's main resources consist of 2,431 dedicated sites throughout the country, 23 regional branch offices and around 700 technicians and engineers with top-level technological expertise in the field of transmission and the broadcasting of audio-visual signals.

The company's mission is to deliver network services, including the contribution, transmission and broadcasting on digital and analogue, terrestrial and satellite platforms, of radio and television signals. On the basis of a service contract with Rai, Rai Way is particularly dedicated to guaranteeing the functioning of Rai's radio and television network.

The coverage of the radio and television broadcasting network in Italy reaches the highest possible levels, both in relation to the population and to the territory, with a high level of quality. In this context, Rai Way's objective is to deliver its services at the lowest possible cost to the highest possible technical standards in terms of safety and flexibility. From the operational viewpoint, Rai Way is responsible for the activation of new broadcasting technologies, and for the development, design and installation of all radio transmitting stations, overseeing the operation and maintenance of the network to ensure that the high technical standards are evenly distributed so that final users throughout the country may enjoy the best possible reception of the audio-visual signal.

In 2010, Rai Way celebrated its first decade of activity, a period of time during which the company has supplied the Parent Company with all the support needed for Rai to achieve the challenging aims imposed by the Service Agreement and by the broadcasting market. The constant commitment of personnel at every level over the years has enabled the achievement of important results, including the digitalisation of the broadcasting network and the diffusion network (still under construction), the creation of High Definition services to cover important sport events, the attainment of ISO 14001 environmental certification and the annual publication of environmental reports.

2010 witnessed Rai Way's strong commitment to various initiatives for the development of its business and for the consolidation of the traditional position, not only as incumbent operator, but also as leader in radio and television diffusion and broadcasting.

Once again, in 2010 Rai Way was occupied constantly in the activity for the switchover from analogue to DTT in the regions indicated in the calendar issued and subsequently amended by the Ministry of Development of the Economy and Communications; the following switch-offs took place: Eastern Piedmont and Lombardy (excluding the province of Mantua) and the provinces of Parma and Piacenza, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia. In 2010 Rai asked for the cooperation of Rai Way in the coordination of frequencies for the use of the instrumentation of Rai and of foreign broadcasters during the Giro d'Italia (starting in Holland), the World Figure Skating Championships, the World Cup, Formula 1 Racing, the Men's Volleyball World Cup and the European Athletics Championships.

The communication projects that involved Rai Way most during these nine months of 2010 were:

• the switchover to Digital Terrestrial Television;

• the promotion of Digital Radio.

In terms of the passage to DTT, Rai Way conceived two important initiatives in the regions that switched over to DTT in 2010:

• specialised information aimed at aerial fitters;

• specific information for domestic users.

The first initiative witnessed Rai Way's leading role, in conjunction with Eurosatellite - leader in professional training for aerial fitters - in the creation of a Road Show which visited various Italian towns and cities and involved more than 1,500 operators in the sector.

For specific information for domestic users on the other hand, Rai Way promoted an initiative called Progetto Scuola, accomplished in conjunction with Eurosatellite and the Ministry of Public Education. The addressees of this initiative were middle school children, considered to be the best target for DVB-T information and transferral of such information into the domestic environment.

Everything was achieved through the creation of several film clips which tackled the most common problems that emerged during the previous switch-offs, highlighting the possible solutions in a quick and simple way.

The initiative was presented in Milan in May at the 'Carlo Porta' Middle School and also involved students from other schools in Milan, totalling 270 children altogether.

Furthermore, to offer further dissemination, the video material was transferred to the YouTube portal and the website www.digitaleterrestre.it/scuola attaining considerable success in terms of agreements registered. As regards digital radio broadcasting, national dissemination of an experimental service of applications based on the BIFS standard of DAB+/DMB, launched in 2009, continued in 2010.

The cooperation with the local and community radio associations, Aeranti- Corallo, aimed at the construction and management of digital radio broadcasting infrastructures dedicated to local stations, continued. In particular, with a view to the innovation and development of digital radio, activity for the certification of Digital Radio receivers was launched, with Rai Way being one of the main promoters. One of the tangible activities was the creation of a document entitled ARD-Book which was subsequently approved and adopted by the Association for Digital Radiophony in Italy (ARD) of which Rai Way is a member.

The ARD-Book establishes, in keeping with international standards and the recommendations of the EBU and World DMB Forum, the characteristics of receivers for the Italian market, the main aim being to remain in line with what broadcasters intend to transmit. Once again, for 2010 Rai Way will prepare and publish the Environmental Report in order to continue the dissemination of information regarding environmental impacts connected with corporate operation.