Arqiva

Arqiva /ɑːrˈkiːvə/ is a British telecommunications company which provides infrastructure, broadcast transmission and smart meter facilities[1] in the United Kingdom. The company headquarters is located at Crawley Court in the village of Crawley, Hampshire, just outside Winchester. Its main customers are broadcasters and utility companies, and its main asset is a network of circa. 1,500 radio and television transmission sites.[2] It is owned by a consortium of investors led by CPP (Canada Pension Plan) and the Australian investment house Macquarie Bank.[3][4] Arqiva is a patron of the Radio Academy.[5]

Arqiva
Private
IndustryTelecommunications
Founded2005
Headquarters
Winchester, England
,
United Kingdom
ServicesTransmissions
Owner
Websitewww.arqiva.com

Through its Now Digital subsidiary, it operates various local digital radio ensembles.[6]

History

The company, which has a history that dates back to the beginning of regular public broadcasting in the United Kingdom, was actually only formed in 2005.[7] Below is a potted history of the various organisations that are now part of Arqiva:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Responsibility for the transmitter assets of the BBC lay solely within the corporation until 1997. The assets were then split into a separate company, prior to being sold.

The domestic transmitter network was purchased by a US company, Crown Castle, when it was privatised in 1997. Subsequently, in 2004, this was purchased by National Grid plc,[8] which merged in its own private communication network, the name changing to National Grid Wireless in October 2005. Transmitters used by the BBC Overseas services were sold to a new startup company, called Merlin Communications.

National Grid

National Grid plc had a large internal network for the communication of its engineers serving initially the electricity companies, but subsequently, the gas industry as well. This company developed on the back of the growth in mobile phones, and its large portfolio of tower locations. This was added to by the purchase of the former BBC network (as above).

National Grid Wireless, as it became, led a consortium bidding for the second UK national DAB multiplex licence, but was unsuccessful. The licence was awarded instead to 4 Digital Group in July 2007.[9]

Independent Television Authority (ITA) / Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA)

The Television Act 1954 gave birth to the Independent Television Authority (ITA). The ITA appointed and regulated a number of regional programme contractors, and built and operated a network of transmitters.

The Sound Broadcasting Act 1972 created legal commercial radio in the UK for the first time. It was modelled on ITA, in that programmes were made by local contractors while the regulator, renamed the Independent Broadcasting Authority, owned and operated the transmitters.

ITC, RA and Transcom

The Broadcasting Act 1990 split the IBA into three bodies. The Independent Television Commission (ITC) regulated commercial TV and the Radio Authority (RA) regulated commercial radio. The IBA's engineering division, which operated the transmitters as well as doing research and development, became an independent company called National Transcommunications Limited (NTL), also known as "Transcom". At this point, technical standards regulation, previously carried out in accordance with the IBA engineering "Code of Practice", seems to have disappeared from the regulatory landscape.

CableTel, Simoco and NTL

Transcom was acquired by International CableTel Inc., which subsequently built its brand around the NTL name. It ran up huge debts during the dot-com boom which crippled the company for many years. In 1998, NTL acquired the UK antenna sites business of Simoco, a private mobile radio (PMR) company formed from Philips Telecom - PMR. In 1999 NTL acquired the UK field service operations business of Simoco. In 2004, NTL sold its 'broadcast unit' to Macquarie Communications Infrastructure Group, but continued as a cable operator.

Macquarie

In January 2005, Macquarie Communications Infrastructure Group renamed its new subsidiary Arqiva. Subsequently in July 2009, Macquarie sold off a substantial part of its holding and moved the remaining amount to its investment fund. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) now has a 48% holding and Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 2 (MEIF 2) has 21%, with other Macquarie Group funds holding 13% [10]

Inmedia

Arqiva acquired Inmedia Communications from the Carlyle Group for £68.5 million in July 2005 to form the new Satellite Media Solutions business unit. Inmedia was owned by Kingston Communications and known as Kingston inmedia before being bought by the Carlyle Group in 2004.

BT Broadcast

Arqiva announced the signing of a Sale & Purchase Agreement (SPA) with BT to acquire the full-time service components of BT’s Satellite Broadcast Services business for £25 million in cash in November 2006. The deal will include long-term customer contracts, operations and personnel located in the USA, France, Italy and the Netherlands, as well as the UK. Deal completion is subject to regulatory approval in the UK and Germany.

National Grid Wireless

Arqiva purchased National Grid Wireless on 3 April 2007 for £2.5 billion.[11] The company planned to run NGW as a separate company – Macquarie UK Broadcast Ventures Ltd – pending review of the deal by competition regulators. Regulatory agreement was reached in late 2008 and National Grid Wireless was amalgamated into Arqiva. The new company employs around 2,300 people and operates all the TV and most of the radio transmitters in the UK (BBC national and local and many commercial stations). It is deemed to be a monopoly operator and as such is regulated by Ofcom.[12]

JFMG

Arqiva purchased PMSE band manager JFMG 19 February 2009.[13] JFMG were contracted by communications regulator Ofcom to provide spectrum management and licensing services for programme making and special events (PMSE). In May 2015 Ofcom made the decision to end the contract with Arqiva and to insource the existing services.[14]

Recent activity

OneVision DTT Licence application
Main article: One Vision (DTT)

During 2009, Arqiva were involved in the possibility of provision of digital pay TV in Ireland.[15]

SeeSaw
Main article: SeeSaw (Internet television)

In March 2010, Arqiva invested in and launched a catch-up Internet television, IPTV service called SeeSaw.[16] Subsequently the holding in the company was reduced to 25%.

WiFi

In July 2012, Arqiva bought Spectrum Interactive, a wholesale only WiFi provider.[17]

In 2016, Arqiva sold its WiFi Business to Virgin Media [18]

Sale of telecommunications business

In October 2019, the company sold its telecommunication business to Cellnex.[19]

Notable transmitter sites
gollark: ++remind 2h https://forms.mei.org.uk/problem-solving-course/8834
gollark: ++remind "Tuesday 18:30" ...
gollark: ++remind "Wednesday 09:15" pdjnf NSA xodene
gollark: ++remind "tomorrow 6:30pm" bee you, actually do stuff wrt. "shoulder roll" or you will not have
gollark: ++remind 12h bee you, watch videos

See also

References
  1. "O2 and Arqiva win £2.1bn smart meter contracts". Retrieved 2016-03-16.
  2. "Arqiva at a glance - Connecting people and organisations". Arqiva. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  3. "Corporate Structure". Retrieved 2009-04-23.
  4. "Our Shareholders". Arqiva. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  5. "Patrons". The Radio Academy. Archived from the original on January 7, 2010.
  6. "NOW Digital Ltd - Who We Are". Archived from the original on 2012-11-16. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
  7. "John Cresswell to head Arqiva". The Guardian. 11 January 2001. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  8. "National Grid buys TV masts firm". 2004-06-28. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  9. Dowell, Ben (6 July 2007). "Channel 4 wins radio multiplex bid - MediaGuardian.co.uk". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 7 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-08.
  10. "About Us". arqiva.com. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  11. "Arqiva and National Grid Wireless to create unified UK communications infrastructure - Arqiva.com". Archived from the original on 2007-06-02. Retrieved 2007-04-04.
  12. "Macquarie buys National Grid wireless for $4.9 bln". Reuters. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
  13. "BEIRG: Arqiva buys JFMG". beirg.co.uk. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  14. "Ofcom transition".
  15. "OneVision wants DTT licence". The Irish Times. 1 May 2009. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
  16. "BBC News - Internet TV service Seesaw launches beta trial". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  17. "Arqiva buys Spectrum Interactive to boost Wi-Fi range". Retrieved 2016-03-16.
  18. "Arqiva confirms sale of WiFi business to Virgin Media". Retrieved 2016-09-08.
  19. "Arqiva reaches agreement to sell its Telecoms division to Cellnex for £2.0bn". Arqiva. 2 June 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2020.

Sources
  • Pawley, Edward (1972). BBC Engineering 1922–1972. London, BBC. ISBN 0-563-12127-0
  • Shacklady, Norman and Ellen, Martin (2003). On Air: A History of BBC Transmission. Wavechange Books. ISBN 0-9544077-1-7 (paperback) ISBN 0-9544077-0-9 (hardback).
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