Since 1989 franchises have been awarded by the Government to 'provide Multichannel TV in non-cabled areas' by means of the 'Multipoint Microwave Distribution System' (MMDS). All MMDS services provide BBC1, BBC2, UTV, Channel 4 (from Northern Ireland), TV3 (which has an incomplete UHF network) and selected satellite channels (there seems to be a lack of interest in providing the UK's Channel 5 on most Irish Cable/MMDS services at the moment).
Many providers provide limited local programming. On the technical front a band between 2.5GHz and 2.68GHz (providing 22 TV frequency channels) was assigned for MMDS. The Government's Canadian consultants recommended that due to the sharp directional properties of MMDS aerials considerable reuse of MMDS frequencies is possible, and only two sets of channels for assignment to the transmitters was deemed necessary.
The available band was therefore divided up into two groups of odd or even channels (each transmitter site is allocated either MMDS channels 1,3,5.. etc OR 2,4,6.. etc), giving a total of 11 TV stations. However an extra channel above the original plan is now in use in many areas giving a total of 12 TV stations. Either Horizontal or Vertical polarisation is assigned.
Actual Carrier frequencies used may be slightly different due to the use of Precision Offsets so as to reduce the possibility of co-channel interference (as is the case with conventional TV). Most of these transmissions are scrambled.
MMDS main transmitters (backed up by numerous relay devices, commonly termed 'Beambenders') usually cover an area of 20-30 miles radius. 'Beambenders' operate by retransmitting MMDS signals, usually without a change of frequencies, but using opposite polarisation, aimed into reception blackspot areas.
For more technical info regarding MMDS, elsewhere on this website, click here
| MMDS CH. | VISION MHz | SOUND MHz | MMDS CH. | VISION MHz | SOUND MHz |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| m1 | 2501.25 | 2507.25 | m2 | 2509.25 | 2515.25 | |
| m3 | 2517.25 | 2523.25 | m4 | 2525.25 | 2531.25 | |
| m5 | 2533.25 | 2539.25 | m6 | 2541.25 | 2547.25 | |
| m7 | 2549.25 | 2555.25 | m8 | 2557.25 | 2563.25 | |
| m9 | 2565.25 | 2571.25 | m10 | 2573.25 | 2579.25 | |
| m11 | 2581.25 | 2587.25 | m12 | 2589.25 | 2595.25 | |
| m13 | 2597.25 | 2603.25 | m14 | 2605.25 | 2611.25 | |
| m15 | 2613.25 | 2619.25 | m16 | 2621.25 | 2627.25 | |
| m17 | 2629.25 | 2635.25 | m18 | 2637.25 | 2643.25 | |
| m19 | 2645.25 | 2651.25 | m20 | 2653.25 | 2659.25 | |
| m21 | 2661.25 | 2667.25 | m22 | 2669.25 | 2675.25 | |