Equipment Room Containers Arrive Across Brazil

ERC container delivery at the Estadio do Maracana took place last week

The Equipment Room Container (ERC) delivery took place at the Estadio do Maracana last week as preparations at the 12 venues of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ enter the final stretch.

Pre-assembled and tested in Germany at the systems integrator sonoVTS, the ERC is the hub of all onsite outside broadcast operations at each Broadcast Compound around Brazil, connecting to all operational rooms. The full testing of the facility before it arrived in Brazil saved countless valuable hours for staff at the venues.

Testing and Packing of the 12 ECR containers at sonoVTS in Munich

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Once testing was finished the cables and equipment were carefully packed away and shipped across the Atlantic Ocean, ready to be delivered to all 12 cities hosting FIFA World Cup™ matches – a process that has been taking place across all venues in the past week.

The ECRs are connected to the HBS Houses at each venue and receiving air conditioning systems

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The ECR is a freestanding unit, independent of the "HBS House" comprising most of the Broadcast Compounds at each venue. Upon arrival deposited at the appropriate spot, the cables were unrolled and reconnected to the equipment in the various operational rooms and the venues were essentially active. A system of airlocks and controlled airflow facilitates temperature and humidity control and deals with the potentially significant differences in both of these aspects from one venue to another.

The Operational areas at the 12 venues are filling up with Equipment and are connected to the ECRs

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Senior Engineering Manager Christian Gobbel, who was involved from the project's inception through to its implementation in Brazil, sums the whole thing up nicely: "The Equipment Room Containers are essentially very, very big OB vans without wheels, built to our exact specifications. The great thing is being able to test the equipment and the interfacing between all the components well ahead of the event, it's a huge step forward for us and a great relief in the busy days before the Opening Match.