Broadcasters with 3G broadband enabled cell phones can deliver FM-quality mono and stereo audio for remote broadcasts connect from anywhere a reliable wireless 3G connection can be made. Tieline is now the first company to offer six network options in one audio codec including POTS, ISDN, GSM and wired and wireless IP options.

“3G is here and it can deliver excellent audio of the highest quality,” said Tieline America General Manager Kevin Webb. “We have engineered a reliable IP solution for delivering broadcast-quality audio over the broadband internet component of the 3G service.”

A 3G broadband connection enables data transfer at download speeds of up to 384kbps and upload speeds of up to 128kbps.

The new software has been integrated into the Tieline Commander G3 field codec and i-Mix G3 codec via a USB master module. If the 3G connection supports the bandwidth, off-air studio communications in the background over the same connection can be delivered.

Once a 3G compatible cell phone (with broadband internet service on the SIM) is connected to the optional USB master module on the Commander G3 or iMix G3 codecs, the codecs will take over the dialing of the phone and enable a connection to the internet and the transfer of audio back to the studio live.

A unique feature of Tieline’s remote broadcast over IP solution is its “failover technology” option which allows broadcasters to go to a back-up network should their main Internet connection fail.

About 3G Technology

3G is short for third-generation technology and applies to broadband enabled cell phones. The services associated with 3G provide the ability to transfer both voice data (a phone call) and non-voice data (such as downloading information, exchanging email and instant messaging). 3G covers a broad spectrum of technologies which are slightly different in major regions of the world including 3G, UMTS and EVDO. 3G coverage is provided by at least one cellular service provider in a number of countries throughout the world. The site 3G Today estimates that there are at last count 193 commercial 3G operators in 83 countries.

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Sometimes finding new technology to improve the product our radio operations use can be likened to going to the dentist. At times the visit is painful and we walk away regretting the root canal we just endured. However, there are many times we leave the office with a gleaming smile on our faces and a sense of pride that we came away with something accomplished. The latter example is the case with a recent demo we tried at Clear Channel St. Louis. I have to say, I’ve done nothing but smiled since trying the Commander G3 codec from Tieline Technology.

In February our engineering team decided to embark on a mission to find an IP-based technology that would work for our remote broadcasts. Between the various engineers and remote technicians in the St. Louis group, we tried several different boxes from different manufacturers. In all of our testing, we were beginning to lose hope that we’d ever find a box that would do all of the following well:

• Be reliable on the air
• Sound good
• Have reasonable delay
• Be easy to use
• Be flexible for future improvements

In typical fashion, the last codec we tried measured up to our challenges and restored our faith that IP audio codecs truly are the way of the future. While a couple of the boxes we experimented with performed very well when connected to a wired broadband connection, none but the Tieline performed excellently when used over the Verizon EVDO network available in St. Louis.

To perform our tests we ran each codec through the Verizon Broadband EVDO network via a Kyocera KR-1 router at various remote locations.

Sometimes we returned to that location on various occasions to see if the experience was a fluke.

Typically, we took each codec out with one of our more demanding morning shows. In most cases, it was “Tony Scott and the New Breakfast Crew” on KMJM. In their case, they interact with live telephone calls, take musical guests on a whim, and use a new location every week. To us, this was a perfect “proving-ground” for a codec.

The first time out with the Tieline was a brilliantly simple experience for everyone involved. For lack of a better phrase, the codec just worked. The delay was low enough for phone calls and it sounded great on the air via the wireless IP connection. There was very little “glitching” even when the connection on the other commentary boxes had dropped out before. The remote technician and the talent came back to the studio that morning singing the praises of the G3. He was thrilled that he didn’t have to pull out a laptop to see what was going on with the codec. Every test that followed carried the same result.

In this business, we know it’s the little things that sometimes matter the most. In our case, the Tieline is a great solution for us because it is easy to use, works with a variety of transmission mediums, sounds great on the air (and doesn’t conflict with the HD Radio algorithm,) and most importantly will stand the tests of time and the road. There will be no teethpulling on our part to buy another system in the future.

Christian Vang Clear Channel St. Louis Chief Engineer See www.tieline.com/ip

Lotus Broadcasting's IT Manager for Las Vegas, J.D. Davis, says “We are switching one FM station over right away to HD Radio and the other station will be switched next year”. “We have been looking for a good, high-quality full-spectrum audio signal with no compression or filtering for our studio to transmitter link.” Davis chose to test drive Tieline Technology's Commander G3 codec which provides uncompressed studio quality and ultra low delay audio over wired and wireless IP networks. The Commander G3 codec can also be configured for automatic failover to backup ISDN or POTS links.

Davis hooked Tielines up to each end of the STL transmission, and after some tweaking of the IP connection (Davis was using a two-foot dish from Orthogon Systems on each end, thus creating a legal FCC license-free link), he was ready to push audio through the Tielines.

“It was a nice solid signal and we tested it for two and half, three weeks straight,” said Davis who experimented with a variety of “failure scenarios” such as power outages, trying to force the codecs to fail but the Tielines remained true during their trial.

After two weeks of testing Davis felt secure enough to put the Tieline transmission signal live on the air and the Commander codecs stood in as the STL for the FM stations.

“It worked flawlessly” said Davis. “I was really impressed with the audio quality and there was no delay.”

“The audio quality was pristine and we were getting uncompressed PCMA with no frequency filtering,” said Davis.

Davis said the link speed was about 3mb.

“We also like the remote control capability through the IP link.”

Remote control allows the Tieline codec up on the mountain site to be adjusted without a trip out of the studio.

Lotus Broadcasting operates four radio stations in Las Vergas: KBAD-AM 920, KENO-AM 1460, KOMP-FM 92.3 and KXPT-FM 97.1 and is a subsidiary of Lotus Communications

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