2rn
2rn is Ireland's state-owned national broadcast transmission and communications network operator, transmitting TV and radio from 1,450 sites to 98.5% of the population via Saorview DTT and Saorsat satellite, and providing telecoms site hosting and smart metering infrastructure.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersTallaght, Ireland
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What 2rn does
2rn (legal name: RTÉ Transmission Network DAC) is Ireland's state-owned national broadcast transmission and communications network operator, headquartered in Tallaght, Dublin. The company transmits television and radio services from a portfolio of 1,450 broadcast sites and 120 telecoms sites, reaching 98.5% of the Irish population through its free-to-air Saorview DTT platform and the Saorsat satellite in-fill service for the remaining 1-2% of homes. Core products span Saorview Digital Television, Saorsat Digital Television, analogue FM radio, digital radio, and the Network Monitoring Centre, with the company also providing telecoms site hosting for mobile network operators and emergency services, and operating smart metering networks that deliver approximately 50 million data points per day to utility customers.
2rn generates revenue through regulated wholesale access agreements (Wholesale Access Reference Offer) with national broadcasters including RTÉ, TG4, Virgin Media Television, and Today FM, complemented by revenue from regional and community radio broadcasters, mobile operators and emergency services site hosting, and utility smart metering data services. The company is a designated activity company (DAC) under Irish law and operates under a regulated framework with publicly disclosed Reference Offer and Accounting Documentation, published annually. The business model is best characterized as a multi-tenant, regulated infrastructure operator monetizing a national footprint of broadcast and telecoms assets, with membership in the NorDig consortium and a partnership with Labwise (Finland) for Saorview receiver compliance testing reinforcing its technical standards position. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the company maintains a relatively lean headcount of 51-100 employees relative to its asset base.
2rn firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 2rn
- Legal name
- RTÉ Transmission Network DAC
- Website
- https://2rn.ie
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- 2rn is Ireland's state-owned national broadcast transmission and communications network operator, transmitting TV and radio from 1,450 sites to 98.5% of the population via Saorview DTT and Saorsat satellite, and providing telecoms site hosting and smart metering infrastructure.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
2rn industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Broadcast Transmission Infrastructure
- NAICS
- Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Satellite Telecommunications (5174)
- SIC
- Communications Services, Nec (4899)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Satellite Video & Media Distribution (DTH, Contribution/Distribution, Occasional Use) (HDAIAJAG)
Keywords
Where 2rn is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tallaght
- HQ country
- Ireland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
2rn business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Broadcast Transmission Services: Provides transmission facilities to national television and radio broadcasters including RTÉ, TG4, Virgin Media Television, and Today FM. Revenue derived from regulated wholesale access agreements for network use.
- Wholesale Access Reference Offer: Offers regulated wholesale access to broadcast infrastructure through Reference Offer documentation, with published Illustrative Tariff Models and accounting documentation for market regulation compliance.
- Telecommunications Site Hosting: Provides site hosting for mobile telephone operators, emergency services, wireless broadband providers, and other private mobile communications service providers from 120 sites with towers ranging from 10m to over 300m height.
- Smart Metering Data Services: Operates smart metering networks delivering approximately 50 million data points daily to utility companies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Wholesale Access Reference Offer - Regulated Market A |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
2rn product offering
Product offeringCore offering
2rn operates Ireland's national broadcast and communications transmission infrastructure, distributing the programme services of RTÉ, TG4, Virgin Media Television and Today FM via the Saorview DTT platform and Saorsat satellite in-fill service. The company also provides wholesale telecoms site hosting from 120 mast locations, smart metering data network operations handling ~50 million daily data points, and 24/7 Network Monitoring Centre services.
Product overview
2rn (RTÉ Transmission Network DAC) operates as Ireland's national broadcast and communications network operator, providing a comprehensive portfolio of services organized around three core areas: Broadcast Transmission (Saorview Digital Television, Saorsat Digital Television, Analogue Radio, Digital Radio), Network Infrastructure (Telecoms Site Hosting, Site Access Services), and Network Monitoring (Network Monitoring Centre). The company transmits from 1,450 radio and TV broadcast sites, reaching 98.5% of Ireland's population through Freeview, while also delivering smart metering networks that handle around 50 million data points daily. The Reference Offer Documentation and Accounting Documentation serve as regulatory compliance sub-products supporting wholesale access to the network infrastructure.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Saorview: Ireland's free-to-air Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) service available to over 98% of Irish homes.
- Saorsat
Products and services
- Saorview Digital Television Ireland's free-to-air Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) service available to over 98% of Irish homes, providing access to TV channels from RTÉ, TG4, and Virgin Media as well as radio services.
- Saorsat Digital Television Satellite in-fill solution providing free-to-air Irish public service broadcasting directly to viewers' homes (DTH) for the 1-2% of homes not covered by DTT broadcasts due to Ireland's topography.
- Analogue Radio (FM) Transmission Full transmission services for national FM radio stations including RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ 2FM, RTÉ Lyric, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, as well as regional, local, and community radio broadcasters.
- Digital Radio Transmission Digital radio transmission services transmitted nationwide on Saorview DTT and Saorsat DTH, including RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ Radio 1 Extra, RTÉ 2FM, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, RTÉ Lyric, RTÉ Pulse, RTÉ 2XM, RTÉ Junior, RTÉ Gold, and RTÉ Chill.
- Network Monitoring Centre (NMC) Day-to-day monitoring and operation of the National Broadcast Network, responsible for quality control, service operation, and remote intervention to ensure Television and Radio service preservation and support.
- Telecoms Site Hosting Site hosting services for mobile telephone operators, emergency services, wireless broadband, and other private mobile communications service providers across a network of 120 sites with towers and masts ranging from 10m to over 300m in height.
- Site Access Services Site acquisition, development, engineering design, system integration, maintenance, and turn-key solutions for broadcast and communications operators.
- Wholesale Access Reference Offer Regulated wholesale access documentation providing commercial terms, published Illustrative Tariff Models, and accounting transparency for access to 2rn's broadcast and communications network infrastructure.
Quantifiable outcome
- 98.5% population coverage through Saorview free-to-air DTT platform
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use 2rn
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
2rn technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
2rn partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Labwise (Finland)coreAppointed by 2rn to conduct receiver compliance testing for receivers intended for use with the Saorview platform. Receivers passing testing meet Saorview and NorDig specifications and are eligible to use the 'SAORVIEW' logo. Labwise operates as the official testing partner for Saorview-approved receivers.
- NorDig (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Ireland)core2rn is a member of NorDig, a consortium of countries and platform operators working together to agree common specifications and standards for reception equipment and operational parameters for national broadcast platforms. NorDig unified requirements define receiver specifications for member countries.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
2rn competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Cellnex Telecom: Europe's largest independent tower and broadcast infrastructure operator with thousands of sites across multiple countries. Represents the scaled-up, commercial version of 2rn's business model — useful as a benchmark for site hosting economics and strategic options.
- American Tower: Global tower infrastructure giant with a portfolio of communications sites worldwide. While not a direct broadcast transmission operator, it is the leading reference point for telecoms tower hosting economics relevant to 2rn's site hosting business.
Direct peers
- RAI Way: Italian national broadcast transmission network operator, spun off from RAI (Italy's public broadcaster). Directly comparable to 2rn as a state-linked entity operating national DTT and radio transmission infrastructure.
- ORS: Austrian broadcast and network operator providing DVB-T/DVB-T2 transmission plus site hosting services. Comparable as a small-country national broadcast infrastructure operator with mixed broadcast and telecoms hosting revenue.
- Arqiva: UK's national broadcast transmission and telecoms infrastructure provider. Operates the UK's DTT platform (Freeview) plus extensive tower/site hosting for MNOs — the closest analogue to 2rn's combined broadcast transmission and site hosting business model.
- Emitel: Poland's national broadcast transmission and telecom tower operator. Operates DVB-T multiplexes and provides tower hosting for Polish MNOs — comparable scale and dual-revenue model to 2rn.
- Teracom: Swedish national broadcast transmission operator providing DTT and radio infrastructure. NorDig consortium member with similar role to 2rn in operating Sweden's national broadcast network.
- TDF: France's principal broadcast transmission and telecoms infrastructure operator, providing DTT, FM, and tower hosting services. Highly comparable to 2rn in scope of broadcast infrastructure ownership and B2B wholesale model.
- Digita: Finnish broadcast transmission network operator providing DTT, FM, and IoT/smart metering network services. A NorDig consortium peer of 2rn with a comparable portfolio of broadcast and smart infrastructure services.
- Norkring: Norwegian broadcast transmission operator providing national DTT and FM infrastructure. Fellow NorDig consortium member with 2rn, making it directly comparable in technical standards alignment and operating model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
2rn social profiles
Digital presence2rn financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
2rn leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
2rn funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
2rn M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about 2rn
What does 2rn do?
2rn operates Ireland's national broadcast and communications transmission infrastructure, distributing the programme services of RTÉ, TG4, Virgin Media Television and Today FM via the Saorview DTT platform and Saorsat satellite in-fill service. The company also provides wholesale telecoms site hosting from 120 mast locations, smart metering data network operations handling ~50 million daily data points, and 24/7 Network Monitoring Centre services.
Is 2rn a public or private company?
2rn is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was 2rn founded?
2rn was founded in -1. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is 2rn based?
2rn is headquartered in Tallaght, Ireland, in the Europe region.
How does 2rn make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Broadcast Transmission Services are the primary driver. The others are wholesale Access Reference Offer, telecommunications Site Hosting and smart Metering Data Services.
Who are 2rn's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Cellnex Telecom and American Tower. Direct peers are RAI Way, ORS, Arqiva, Emitel, Teracom, TDF, Digita and Norkring.
Does 2rn have an API?
No public API is recorded for 2rn.
What industry is 2rn in?
2rn's product category is Broadcast Transmission Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIAJAG, Satellite Video & Media Distribution (DTH, Contribution/Distribution, Occasional Use). Its NAICS code is 5161 and its SIC code is 4899.