Swisscom info and facts
The 122-metre Swisscom Broadcast Ltd. transmission tower on top of La Barillette, which was built in 1958, was blasted at 6 p.m. today, Thursday 24 May 2018. Its replacement, which stands right next to the detonated tower, is already in operation.
The La Dôle transmitter lies on a mountain ridge above Nyon in the Jura region and is part of Gingins municipality in Canton Vaud. It is a key location providing telecommunication coverage for the Lake Geneva region. La Dôle broadcasts radio programmes in analogue (VHF) and digital (DAB+) format as well as digital terrestrial TV programmes. It is also used to pass on radio relay and emergency radio signals to different customers.
Whereas modern transmission technologies are becoming increasingly powerful, the transmitters themselves can make do with less and less space and energy. For environmental and economic reasons, Swisscom Broadcast decided to rebuild the La Dôle transmitter in several stages. The new operation building and the new mast went into operation in the autumn of 2017. The former mast will now be dismantled in the next step, and today’s blasting formed the basis for this work. All the reconstruction and dismantling will be completed by the autumn of 2018. An open day, in which residents and other interested parties can visit the La Dôle transmitter, is planned within the framework of the relaunch.
To reduce electricity consumption, the La Dôle transmitter is cooled year-round using fresh ambient air rather than with air-conditioning units. “Mistral” is the name of the procedure developed by Swisscom to direct warm interior air outside. Swisscom Broadcast already operates a total of 17 photovoltaic plants at transmitter locations across Switzerland. A photovoltaic plant is also planned to be installed at the La Dôle location in the autumn of 2018. An appropriate building application has already been submitted. Together with the 31 arrays on Swisscom (Switzerland) Ltd operational and business buildings, the Swisscom Group therefore runs almost 50 such plants.
Swisscom Broadcast is a member of the Swisscom Group and has decades of experience in its field. This Swiss company builds, operates and services customer-specific broadcasting networks, specifically radio and TV broadcasting networks as well as safety and public service band radio networks for the police and other emergency service organisations. Swisscom Broadcast also provides video-related services: platform services for operating IPTV and Web TV as well as demanding video security solutions. Its subsidiary, Swisscom Event & Media Solutions (SEM), supplements the company’s range, offering temporary ICT services for the event and media sector.