Austria - Current situation - History
25.06.2018
On April 4, 2018, the DAB+ trial on air in Austria and its surrounding area went into fixed-service operation. National expansion follows in further stages.
A call for bids for one nationwide and regional/local multiplexes started in January 2017 and ended on June 12th 2017. The tender from local or regional terrestrial multiplex platforms for digital terrestrial broadcasting in the standard DAB+ (MUX II) is online at https://www.rtr.at/de/m/Ausschreibungen.
Key aspects of the tender:
- this is the call for bids for one nationwide multiplex-network with the option to regionalise and a second call for bids for additional regional/local networks (both platform + transmitter-network).
- The network should be optimised in the use of frequencies - that means SFN.
- The call for tenders ended on June, 12th 2017.
- The association Digitalradio Austria is happy to provide further information for potential suppliers.
Austrian telecommunications regulator RTR has committed to provide four million euros from its digitisation fund to support the introduction of DAB+ digital radio in Austria.
31.05.2018
On April 4, 2018, the DAB+ trial on air in Austria and its surrounding area went into fixed-service operation. National expansion follows in further stages.
A call for bids for one nationwide and regional/local multiplexes started in January 2017 and ended on June 12th 2017. The tender from local or regional terrestrial multiplex platforms for digital terrestrial broadcasting in the standard DAB+ (MUX II) is online at https://www.rtr.at/de/m/Ausschreibungen. By the end of 2017 the contract will be awarded to the applicants for the network construction by the regulator RTR and a solution to the minimum charges will be found with the collecting society AKM. Two applications were submitted for the digital radio station network in Austria, as announced by the association Digitalradio Austria and the media authority KommAustria. ORS is now applying for eleven programs for nationwide coverage. RTG Radio Technikum GmbH is applying for the regional broadcast network in the Greater Vienna area.
Key aspects of the tender:
- this is the call for bids for one nationwide multiplex-network with the option to regionalise and a second call for bids for additional regional/local networks (both platform + transmitter-network).
- The network should be optimised in the use of frequencies - that means SFN.
- The proposer needs also a concept which is involving the broadcasters for advertising of DAB+ in public
- Selected Criterias if there is more than one candidate
- The ensemble should be diversible in opinions and a local content is prefered against global in the case of regional/local radio stations.
- The time for building the network is limited:
- nationwide: 50% of residents within one year; 75% within three years and 90% within five years.
- regional/local: an accumulation > 50,000 residents; 50% of residents within one year; 75% within two years and 100% within three years. - The call for tenders ended on June, 12th 2017.
- The association Digitalradio Austria is happy to provide further information for potential suppliers.
Austrian telecommunications regulator RTR has committed to provide four million euros from its digitisation fund to support the introduction of DAB+ digital radio in Austria.
ORS comm has received a DAB+ trial licence and began broadcasting DAB+ test transmissions on May 28th 2015. The trial has been supported by Digital Radio Austria (Verein Digitalradio Österreich).
Austria is committed to a digital radio future and a report by the regulators, the Austrian Communications Authority (KommAustria) and RTR-GmbH recommended DAB+ in Band III as the way forward. As planned, KommAustria completed a call for interest regarding DAB+ in August 2012. KommAustria intended to launch DAB+ by an open call for tender regarding the DAB+ network if enough parties showed believable and sustainable interest. A minimum limit of 12 possible programs (to fill one MUX coverage) was set. This limit was not reached as too few parties showed interest or failed to meet the criteria of the call for interest. Most remarkably, the public broadcaster ORF and the bigger players in the Austrian market did not show interest but strongly voiced their opposition against the launch of DAB+ in Austria.
There is a group of broadcasters who are very outspoken in favour of DAB+, but the majority of radio stations remain unsure. The public broadcaster ORF has recently renewed its objection to any DAB+ plans. On May 1 2013, the Regulation of the Austrian Communications Authority “Digitalisation Concept” decided that a tender procedure for multiplex mode the corresponding coverages will be launched once the authority presented a vested interest in digital radio and a sustainable approach. There will be no further calls for interest but the possibility for a call for tender upon request.
Nevertheless a working group that was created in 2009 to consider the countries digital future is still at work. It's members are stakeholders from the Austrian radio market who represent opponents and proponents of digital radio. It consists of the regulatory authority, the public broadcaster ORF, the commercial and non-commercial broadcasters associations, the electronic industry and consumer associations. The group is constantly watching and evaluating the progress of digital radio in other European countries. The success of digital radio in Germany will have an impact on whether Austria decides to implement DAB+.
New club aims to establish digital radio in Austria
The Austrian Association of the Electrical and Electronic Industry (FEEI), the university of applied sciences FH Technikum Wien and Austrian radio stations such as Radio Arabella and LoungeFM have founded the digital radio club, Digital Radio Austria. The aim of the new organisation is the promotion and development of digital radio in Austria, developing the media category “Radio” in the digital media world, the establishment of radio on new platforms and to promote the provision of information and support for education and training in the field of electronic and new media.
Success factors for the introduction of DAB+ in Austria
It is stated at the outset that this point should not be a condition which speaks for or against a terrestrial digitisation of the radio, since this is a fundamental media policy decision - for the media and business location Austria. The following are some points that would promote the ecosystem of digital terrestrial radio:
- Active will of the Federal Government to digitise terrestrial radio broadcasting as the last media genre, which has not yet been able to experience terrestrial digitisation in Austria. Thus securing the media and economic location of Austria in order to create non-disruptive, non-Austrian offers. Solving the frequency problem, coordinating with the neighboring countries, and the economic use of the existing broadcasting systems with an active decision for a terrestrial digitisation of the radio broadcast.
- New programming possibilities for private radio operators. More than two programs are to be made available by an organizer. The number is intended to regulate the market and for a further development of the radio, a maximum of two programmes must be given by one organiser.
- New possibilities for public broadcasters. In addition to the national programs of public-law audiovisual broadcasting, max. 2 other nationwide, non-regionalisable, advertising-free (!) Programs are made possible.
- Change of ORF-G, PrR-G and AMD-G with regard to the possibilities offered by the program and service providers (programs, data, additional services, etc.).
- Promotion of program providers from the digitisation fund for the time of the simulcast. The increase in the allocation of the digitisation fund from currently EUR 500 TSD p.a. To EUR 1.2 million p.a .. Prioritisation of the digitisation fund for the agendas of the digitisation of terrestrial radio broadcasting.
- Compulsory equipment for newly registered vehicles from 2017 with DAB+ enabled terminals (traffic safety). The need of TPEG-Services is evident.
- From 2017 onwards, each newly-placed radio receiver intended for terrestrial reception must be capable of receiving digital signals corresponding to a standard of a recognised European standard organisation.
05.04.2018
On April 4, 2018, the DAB+ trial on air in Austria and its surrounding area went into fixed-service operation. National expansion follow in further stages.
A call for bids for one nationwide and regional/local multiplexes started in January 2017 and ended on June 12th 2017. The tender from local or regional terrestrial multiplex platforms for digital terrestrial broadcasting in the standard DAB+ (MUX II) is online at https://www.rtr.at/de/m/Ausschreibungen. By the end of 2017 the contract will be awarded to the applicants for the network construction by the regulator RTR and a solution to the minimum charges will be found with the collecting society AKM. Two applications were submitted for the digital radio station network in Austria, as announced by the association Digitalradio Austria and the media authority KommAustria. ORS is now applying for eleven programs for nationwide coverage. RTG Radio Technikum GmbH is applying for the regional broadcast network in the Greater Vienna area.
Key aspects of the tender:
- this is the call for bids for one nationwide multiplex-network with the option to regionalise and a second call for bids for additional regional/local networks (both platform + transmitter-network).
- The network should be optimised in the use of frequencies - that means SFN.
- The proposer needs also a concept which is involving the broadcasters for advertising of DAB+ in public
- Selected Criterias if there is more than one candidate
- The ensemble should be diversible in opinions and a local content is prefered against global in the case of regional/local radio stations.
- The time for building the network is limited:
- nationwide: 50% of residents within one year; 75% within three years and 90% within five years.
- regional/local: an accumulation > 50,000 residents; 50% of residents within one year; 75% within two years and 100% within three years. - The call for tenders ended on June, 12th 2017.
- The association Digitalradio Austria is happy to provide further information for potential suppliers.
Austrian telecommunications regulator RTR has committed to provide four million euros from its digitisation fund to support the introduction of DAB+ digital radio in Austria.
ORS comm has received a DAB+ trial licence and began broadcasting DAB+ test transmissions on May 28th 2015. The trial has been supported by Digital Radio Austria (Verein Digitalradio Österreich).
Austria is committed to a digital radio future and a report by the regulators, the Austrian Communications Authority (KommAustria) and RTR-GmbH recommended DAB+ in Band III as the way forward. As planned, KommAustria completed a call for interest regarding DAB+ in August 2012. KommAustria intended to launch DAB+ by an open call for tender regarding the DAB+ network if enough parties showed believable and sustainable interest. A minimum limit of 12 possible programs (to fill one MUX coverage) was set. This limit was not reached as too few parties showed interest or failed to meet the criteria of the call for interest. Most remarkably, the public broadcaster ORF and the bigger players in the Austrian market did not show interest but strongly voiced their opposition against the launch of DAB+ in Austria.
There is a group of broadcasters who are very outspoken in favour of DAB+, but the majority of radio stations remain unsure. The public broadcaster ORF has recently renewed its objection to any DAB+ plans. On May 1 2013, the Regulation of the Austrian Communications Authority “Digitalisation Concept” decided that a tender procedure for multiplex mode the corresponding coverages will be launched once the authority presented a vested interest in digital radio and a sustainable approach. There will be no further calls for interest but the possibility for a call for tender upon request.
Nevertheless a working group that was created in 2009 to consider the countries digital future is still at work. It's members are stakeholders from the Austrian radio market who represent opponents and proponents of digital radio. It consists of the regulatory authority, the public broadcaster ORF, the commercial and non-commercial broadcasters associations, the electronic industry and consumer associations. The group is constantly watching and evaluating the progress of digital radio in other European countries. The success of digital radio in Germany will have an impact on whether Austria decides to implement DAB+.
New club aims to establish digital radio in Austria
The Austrian Association of the Electrical and Electronic Industry (FEEI), the university of applied sciences FH Technikum Wien and Austrian radio stations such as Radio Arabella and LoungeFM have founded the digital radio club, Digital Radio Austria. The aim of the new organisation is the promotion and development of digital radio in Austria, developing the media category “Radio” in the digital media world, the establishment of radio on new platforms and to promote the provision of information and support for education and training in the field of electronic and new media.
Success factors for the introduction of DAB+ in Austria
It is stated at the outset that this point should not be a condition which speaks for or against a terrestrial digitisation of the radio, since this is a fundamental media policy decision - for the media and business location Austria. The following are some points that would promote the ecosystem of digital terrestrial radio:
- Active will of the Federal Government to digitise terrestrial radio broadcasting as the last media genre, which has not yet been able to experience terrestrial digitisation in Austria. Thus securing the media and economic location of Austria in order to create non-disruptive, non-Austrian offers. Solving the frequency problem, coordinating with the neighboring countries, and the economic use of the existing broadcasting systems with an active decision for a terrestrial digitisation of the radio broadcast.
- New programming possibilities for private radio operators. More than two programs are to be made available by an organizer. The number is intended to regulate the market and for a further development of the radio, a maximum of two programmes must be given by one organiser.
- New possibilities for public broadcasters. In addition to the national programs of public-law audiovisual broadcasting, max. 2 other nationwide, non-regionalisable, advertising-free (!) Programs are made possible.
- Change of ORF-G, PrR-G and AMD-G with regard to the possibilities offered by the program and service providers (programs, data, additional services, etc.).
- Promotion of program providers from the digitisation fund for the time of the simulcast. The increase in the allocation of the digitisation fund from currently EUR 500 TSD p.a. To EUR 1.2 million p.a .. Prioritisation of the digitisation fund for the agendas of the digitisation of terrestrial radio broadcasting.
- Compulsory equipment for newly registered vehicles from 2017 with DAB+ enabled terminals (traffic safety). The need of TPEG-Services is evident.
- From 2017 onwards, each newly-placed radio receiver intended for terrestrial reception must be capable of receiving digital signals corresponding to a standard of a recognised European standard organisation.