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Australia - Details of Trials - History

15.10.2014

Low powered regional trials are currently on air in Canberra and Darwin and the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) extended the trials to continue for another year, until 30 June 2015. The trials in Canberra and Darwin demonstrate the industry’s commitment to regional roll out and provide ongoing research which will inform the cost modelling and coverage planning for regional centres. The scientific licences have been extended to provide an opportunity for broadcasters to experiment with new features and functionality on DAB+, as well as continue testing a range of planning techniques and equipment types. The Canberra trial is showing that broadcaster collaboration on a single shared multiplex offers a cost effective model.

The DAB+ trial signal in both Canberra and Darwin is at low power but ongoing tests have indicated coverage at low power has been able to extend to a large part of the Canberra and Darwin areas.  A boost was required to retransmit the trial signal into Parliament House and this has provided additional testing opportunities for “in building” coverage in a challenging structure. The trial services continue to be subject to occasional interruptions and changes in power for ongoing technical testing. 

09.10.2014

Low powered regional trials are currently on air in Canberra and Darwin and have been extended to continue for another year. The trials in Canberra and Darwin demonstrate the industry’s commitment to regional roll out and provide ongoing research which will inform the cost modelling and coverage planning for regional centres. The Canberra trial is showing that broadcaster collaboration on a single shared multiplex offers a cost effective model.

25.09.2013

The first DAB+ trials started in Australia on 1 July 2007. Prior to this, Australian broadcasters had conducted DAB trials in Sydney on L-Band since 1998 and on VHF Band III since 2003. Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney launched high powered permanent commercial and public broadcast services in August 2009. Low powered regional trials are currently on air in Canberra and Darwin and have been extended to continue for another year.

The trials in Canberra and Darwin demonstrate the industry’s commitment to regional roll out and provide ongoing research which will inform the cost modelling and coverage planning for regional centres. Further work is being done on FEC code rates, On Channel Repeaters and receiver sensitivity. The Canberra trial is showing that broadcaster collaboration on a single shared multiplex offers a cost effective model and working closely with the regulator on these trials allows a common understanding of the issues and impacts of the research findings on all aspects of planning.