It would be hard to design a more comprehensive test of a communications system than a massive earthquake.
Power outages, infrastructure destruction … yet the populace turns to radio for news and information so a radio network can’t go down.
Such was the case with Bio Bio La Radio, a radio network in Chile.
Comrex is highlighting the network’s use of its gear after the disaster. Bio Bio had recently installed a number of Access IP codecs and was using them to cover recent events such as the presidential election along with major sporting events such as the national soccer championships and the Liberators Cup tournament.
The Feb. 27 earthquake disrupted wired communications so the IP codecs were down. But as soon as cell phone wireless communications became available, Bio Bio reporters took to the streets and used portable Access codecs, working through cell phones, to report from all over the country.
Bio Bio La Radio Manager of Operations Alejandro Marnich said: “With the help of the Access we were permitted to go and cover where there was no other form of transmission … Most important for Bio Bio was the quality of the audio transmission.”
Journalists Maria Carrasco (shown), Richard Jimenez, Rodrigo Pino and Jorge Muñoz used the codecs in Concepcion, Santiago, Talcahuano and Dichato. Comrex Managing Director Kris Bobo stated in the release, “We were setting up for the NAB show in Las Vegas when we received the photos from Bio Bio. We were awestricken by the utter devastation.”
