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 audiovisual signal.

In 2011, Rai Way was committed to the continuation of the switch-over to digital and, as usual, to activities aimed at improving the service provided and keeping down costs, also via the insourcing of the installation activities, launched last year.

Within the scope of DTT, the company carried out the activities linked to the switch-over from analogue to digital of the 2011 Technical Areas as identified by the latest schedule issued by the Ministry of Economic Development at the end of June, envisaging the following:
• 2nd half of 2011: the regions of Liguria, Tuscany, Umbria, the Marches and the province of Viterbo;
• 2012: the regions of Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicilia, Abruzzo and Molise.

The events that made the greatest contribution to revenues from occasional services were the World Downhill and Cross-country Skiing Championships, the European Diving Championships, the World Track Cycling Championships, the Women’s Volleyball Championships, the Giro d’Italia, the Beatification of John Paul II and the World Swimming Championships in Shanghai.

The communication projects that involved Rai Way most during 2011 were the switchover to Digital Terrestrial Television and the promotion of Digital Radio.

With this in mind, Rai Way intended to continue the technical communication initiatives already entered into for the switch-off operations in 2010. In this sense, Rai Way re-proposed the following initiatives:
• specialised information aimed at aerial fitters;
• specific information for domestic users.

The first initiative, like last year, witnessed Rai Way’s leading role in the creation of a Road Show in the cities of Bologna, Novara, Vicenza, Brescia, Udine, Rome and Caserta.
Once again this year, the event was extremely successful among operators in the sector, involving more than 850. For specific information for domestic users on the other hand, Rai Way reproposed 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 regarded the cities of Florence, Campobasso, Perugia, Pescara, Pesaro, Foggia and Genoa, and involved 1,090 students.

With a view to the innovation and development of digital radio, Rai Way contributed to the extension of the document for the certification of Digital Radio receivers (ARD Book) for the automobile market; this document is currently undergoing approval by the Association for Digital Radiophony in Italy (ARD).

International activities include several collaborations with East European and Southeast Asian countries, aimed at analysing the construction of the respective digital terrestrial networks.

On 5 July 2011, the company obtained OHSAS 18001/2007 Certification (Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series) for the design and operation of the networks and plants for the transmission and broadcasting of the audio-visual signal in Italy and abroad.

Once again, for 2011 Rai Way will prepare and publish the Environmental Report in order to continue the dissemination of information regarding environmental impacts connected with corporate operation.