Canada - Current situation - History
06.08.2012
DAB services have been on air in Canada's major cities - Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ontario and Ottawa for around 10 years with coverage reaching about 35% of the population.While the rest of the world has embraced DAB or DAB+ using Band III, Canada's digital output is restricted to L-Band. This has resulted in a lack of receivers in the market, high prices and slow consumer uptake. Combined with the fact that the US, Canada's powerful neighbour to the south, has opted for a different system of broadcast, this has led to a complete re-think by the regulator, CRTC, and broadcasters on the future direction of digital broadcasting in Canada.The situation is complicated by the need for spectrum, currently occupied by dormant DAB transmitters, for new digital TV and broadband roll out. The CRTC has discarded its 1996 plan for DAB replacement of all AM and FM radio. Instead it proposes keeping these stations on analogue and using L-Band for new digital multi-media services. However, stakeholders are considering how L-Band is used in other countries before deciding how to reallocate the spectrum.As a result, while exisitng DAB multipexes are slowly being dismantled, there is no firm plan for replacing them and delivering digital radio services to Canada's population of 32 million potential listeners. Canada's broadcasters are expected to lobby for a portion of the L-Band spectrum to be retained for broadcasting services.
12.08.2010
DAB services have been on air in Canada's major cities - Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ontario and Ottawa for around 10 years with coverage reaching about 35% of the population.
While the rest of the world has embraced DAB or DAB+ using Band III, Canada's digital output is restricted to L-Band. This has resulted in a lack of receivers in the market, high prices and slow consumer uptake. Combined with the fact that the US, Canada's powerful neighbour to the south, has opted for a different system of broadcast, this has led to a complete re-think by the regulator, CRTC, and broadcasters on the future direction of digital broadcasting in Canada.
The situation is complicated by the need for spectrum, currently occupied by dormant DAB transmitters, for new digital TV and broadband roll out.
The CRTC has discarded its 1996 plan for DAB replacement of all AM and FM radio. Instead it proposes keeping these stations on analogue and using L-Band for new digital multi-media services. However, stakeholders are considering how L-Band is used in other countries before deciding how to reallocate the spectrum.
As a result, while exisitng DAB multipexes are slowly being dismantled, there is no firm plan for replacing them and delivering digital radio services to Canada's population of 32 million potential listeners. Canada's broadcasters are expected to lobby for a portion of the L-Band spectrum to be retained for broadcasting services.
24.03.2010
DAB launched in Canada in November 1999. Stations in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver started broadcasting in 1999; Ontario in 2000; and Ottawa in 2003. Coverage now amounts to about 35% of the population. In June 2005 the CRTC (the Canadian broadcast licence regulator) approved the application by CHUM Limited (CHUM/Astral) to offer subscription radio services via the DAB network.
There are currently a total of 73 licensed Digital Audio Broadcast DAB stations in Canada.
Radio Canada/CBC has also introduced its first experimental DAB station with their news/weather/traffic offering in Montreal.
This market has been waiting for a revision of the regulation governing DAB and some development is anticipated in 2010.