VT Communications

VT Communications was a part of VT Group plc. VT Communications was essentially the company formed from the privatisation of the BBC World Service transmitter sites. It was initially named Merlin Communications, then, after acquisition by VT, VT Merlin Communications. It provided transmission services to over 20 different customers from four main sites in the UK and many others in the rest of the world.

In 2003, the company was awarded a £228m public private partnership contract to operate the Defence High Frequency Communications Service for a period of fifteen years on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.^[1]

It was based at the Blue Fin Building on London's South Bank, which hosted the company's broadcast and where it formed part of Babcock International Group, after its acquisition on 8 July 2010.^[2]

National Physical Laboratory time signal[]

From 1950, the National Physical Laboratory time signal, the UK's national time reference, was broadcast on 60 kHz from the MSF transmitter at Rugby radio station by BT Communications under licence from the NPL. When that contract expired, VT Communications won the new licence and, following successful testing in early 2007, took over broadcasting the signal from its new location at Anthorn radio station. The formal inauguration of the new facility was on 1 April 2007, when the signal from Rugby was permanently switched off, and the name of the service was changed to "The Time from NPL".

Main transmission sites in the UK[]

• Woofferton
• Rampisham
• Skelton
• Orfordness
• Anthorn

References[]

External links[]

• VT Group plc

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