Canada - Current situation - History
01.09.2006
DAB digital radio is currently broadcast on approximately 60 stations and covers 30% of the population in four of the main cities: Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver. Canada was an early adopter of DAB but has since seen a period of slow progress due to problems with regulations. However, in 2006 in response to requests from broadcasters the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) agreed to change Canada’s 1995 transitional policy to allow more freedom to provide DAB only programmes to attract more consumer interest.
There are currently 60 simulcast DAB stations on air, but under the new scheme they may now also provide DAB programmes on L-Band something which the original regulations did not allow. The CRTC has also allowed each DAB multiplex to carry more than five programming services than at the present time in response to the standardisation of DAB+. DMB was also discussed during the 2006 announcement and, providing there is spectrum capacity, the Commission can see the potential benefit offered to consumers and is prepared to consider applications for these services also.