Select Country:

Poland

Last update: 05.03.2024 - older versions

Regular multiplexes were launched by Polskie Radio in Warsaw and Katowice in October 2013 and four more cities in 2014. A further 12 cities launched in Spring 2015 – bringing population coverage to 53.8%. In December 2015 Polskie Radio switched on a digital transmitter in Solec Kujawski, thereby increasing the total national DAB+ signal to 55.6% of the Polish population.

Representatives of Polish radio stations discussed the potential transition to broadcasting in DAB+ during a conference held in May 2018 to discuss the country's radio future, with 37 frequencies to be distributed to 34 cities. KRRiT chairman Witold Kołodziejski said that the organisation was considering DAB+ as the sole successor to FM in Poland, as analogue frequencies were now exhausted.

In May 2019, KRRiT, the National Broadcasting Council of Poland announced the start of a competition for regional and local broadcasters to carry out the creation of new DAB+ multiplexes in 34 cities across Poland.

By January 2020, KRRiT granted fifty DAB+ licenses for the local multiplexes in Warsaw, Toruń, Poznań, Katowice, Tarnów, Rzeszów and Częstochowa. The winners of the competitions for local mux technical operators are PSN Infrastruktura (2 local mux’s) and DABCOM (5 local mux’s). The start (planned by the end of 2021) of the regular transmissions is under preparation.

In October 2021 a new call for tenders for the next DAB+ local licenses as well as for Mux 1, which is dedicated to national non-public broadcasters, was put out. Up until this point, coverage was focused more on cities and with this expansion it will cover more of the main roads.

By March 2024, total DAB+ coverage in Poland had reached 87.7% of the population and 75% of the territory.

Last update: 05.03.2024 - older versions

A detailed list and information on the parameters of DAB+ transmitters in Poland are available on the network provider EmiTel website where data is updated on regular basis.

English version: https://emitel.pl/en/strefa-klienta-2/odbior-rtv/sprawdz-parametry-emisji/

There is an internet forum (Polish only) where people can share experiences on reception, receiver availability and features, get information about future plans and discuss digital radio implementation strategies: http://forum.emitel.pl.

By March 2024, total DAB+ coverage in Poland had reached 87.7% of the population and 75% of the territory.

Map showing DAB+ coverage in Poland at March 2024

DAB+ coverage in Poland, March 2024

Map showing DAB+ coverage in the Lower Silesia region of Poland at March 2024

DAB+ coverage in Lower Silesia region, Poland, March 2024

Last update: 03.03.2021 - older versions

In this country there are

Regional multiplexes: 17 Regular
Local multiplexes: 9 Trial

on air.

Please note:

(a) These web pages are updated regularly to reflect current services on air, however they may not be exactly up to date.

(b) The logos shown on these pages are for illustrative purposes only – manufacturers and broadcasters are directed here for information on implementing station logos.

After the switch off of analogue TV in 2013, Polskie Radio started two regular DAB+ transmissions with four national simulcast services (Jedynka, Dwojka, Trojka, Czworka, Polish Radio External Service), three exclusive DAB+ services (Polskie Radio 24, Radio Poland and Radio Rytm) and two regional simulcast services (supplied by public regional radio stations, depending on region).

Ultimately 5 unique national and 1 unique regional DAB+ services will be broadcast. The multiplex will contain solely public radio services.

Jedynka
News & current affairs, sports, culture and mainstream music
Launch of DAB+ transmissions
October 1, 2013

Dwójka
A program for connoisseurs of highbrow music and literature.
Launch of DAB+ transmissions
October 1, 2013

Trójka
Cult music and current affairs station.
Launch of DAB+ transmissions
October 1, 2013

Czwórka
About the young, for the young.
The latest trends in music and culture.
Launch of DAB+ transmissions
October 1, 2013

Radio Poland
Radio Poland's international network for expatriate communities in Poland.
Launch of DAB+ transmissions
October 1, 2013

Polskie Radio 24
Polish Radio’s news & current affairs network.
Launch of DAB+ transmissions
October 1, 2013

Radio Rytm
Easy-listening music and news.
Launch of DAB+ transmissions
October 1, 2013

Radio Katowice
Regional broadcaster with the widest coverage in Poland.
Launch of DAB+ transmissions
October 1, 2013

Polskie Radio RDC (Polish Radio RDC)
Traditions of Polish Radio in the Mazovia region coupled with 21st century dynamics.
Launch of DAB+ transmissions
October 1, 2013

Dzieciom
A station for kids and their parents.
Launch of DAB+ transmissions

fourth quarter of 2014

Polskie Radio dla Seniorow
For the young at heart.
Launch of DAB+ transmissions
2015

Polskie Radio Edukacyjne
Popular science for the young.
Launch of DAB+ transmissions
2015

Slideshow is one of two must have functionalities of DAB in Poland. All services broadcast in DAB use DLS and SLS services. Additionally Journaline and EPG are also broadcast together with Polskie Radio and Radio Lodz.

Some of the SLS services on air are very simple (station logo or some DAB promotional pictures) and some are more dynamic. Radio Wroclaw uses SLS for news and slides are being refreshed according to new items appearing on their website.

	Simulcast on AM / FM	Exclusive on digital	Total of services
DAB+ programmes	85	90	175
Data services	1	0	1
Total	86	90	176

Last update: 04.03.2024 - older versions

In March 2024, it was reported that "additional obligations may soon be imposed on the Office of Electronic Communications (UKE)."

"The government's draft Electronic Communications Act stipulates that cars must be equipped with DAB+ receivers. The Ministry of Digitalisation tells Wirtualnemedia.pl that the UKE President is to monitor compliance with these regulations."

"According to the 2020 regulations of the Minister of Digitalisation, from 1 January 2021 all new cars should be equipped with DAB+ tuners. Until 31 March last year, the obligation could be treated as optional by manufacturers or dealers. It happened that the tuner supported digital radio, but this functionality was only unlocked at a surcharge. In vehicles manufactured from 1 April 2023, DAB+ tuners must already be available. Once the new regulations come into force, it will be possible to verify compliance."

Last update: 10.08.2017 - older versions

DAB+ receivers are available through retailers and internet shops. Offers are extended almost every day as digital radio extends coverage and is being noticed by importers, retailers and listeners.

ZIPSEE Digital Poland asks for clear rules for DAB+ receivers

In August 2017, the Polish association of importers and manufacturers of electrical appliances and electronics, ZIPSEE Digital Poland, sent a letter to Minister of Digitisation Anna Strezynska, requesting a regulation stating the minimum technical requirements for digital radio receivers. The companies belonging to the association complain of unfair competition from sellers of digital receivers using the old DAB standard, while Poland has adopted DAB+.

According to research from GFK Poland, 10% of all digital radio receivers sold since the end of September 2016 were of the old, DAB standard. These are not compatible with the DAB+ signal and consumers have been misled by retailers selling the non-compliant receivers, who have exploited shoppers' lack of knowledge.

Last update: 08.05.2019 - older versions

Polish broadcast operator BCAST has launched DAB+ test services in Warsaw, Wroclaw and Gdansk using the DABCAST system SFN model.

Last update: 15.08.2023 - older versions

There are two regulators for broadcasting media in Poland. The National Broadcasting Council manages and issues licences, while the Office of Electronic Communications governs the frequency spectrum. The two bodies work closely together.

Polish frequency plans for T-DAB contain three multiplexes located in the VHF Band III and will be started after the switch off of analogue TV in 2013.

Regulation published by the Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs on 9 November 2020 states that DAB+ became mandatory in category M new vehicles on 1 January 2021, according to the Ordinance of the Minister of Digitisation. (The mentioned Ordinance is an executive act of the Telecommunications Law and is effective from the date indicated therein)

Background:

On 4 November 2020, the Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs published an amendment to regulation that had been published on 14 February 2020, clarifying the technical and performance requirements for radio equipment intended for the reception of digital radio in category M vehicles. The November amendment came into force on 1 January 2021. In particular, the ordinance clarifies the details of some functions (DL, Slide Show, Service following) and specifies the date of April 1, 2023 as the point from which these requirements became mandatory.

Last update: 08.03.2019 - older versions

KRRiT (the National Broadcasting Council of Poland) has launched a website dedicated to digital radio broadcasting (http://www.krrit.gov.pl/radio-cyfrowe).

The website contains reports, information on conferences, seminars and workshops about DAB+ technology as well as links to other pages related to this topic. KRRiT encourages experts interested in the subject to visit their website and add their articles, presentations or case studies.

As part of a media campaign in 2015, a promotional video was created by Polskie Radio to highlight the benefits of listening to radio on DAB+. Entitled, "Digital radio gives you more.", the video communicates the additional benefits of listening to radio on a DAB+ device; better sound, more choice, more content.

DAB+ in Poland: New regional station for Kolberg launched

30.01.2023 - Poland

Polskie Radio Koszalin, the public regional radio station for the eastern part of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, launched another sub-regional programme on 2 January. Since then, Studio Kołobrzeg can be heard in the city of the same name on the Baltic Sea from Mondays to Fridays from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on the FM city frequency 91.0 MHz. In addition, the new regional window is also on air in Koszalin (Köslin) and Kołobrzeg (Kolberg) via DAB+ (channel 11B).

(radioWOCHE.de) Read more

Lodz radio station also available in Warsaw on DAB

26.01.2023 - Poland

Radio Parada from Lodz has joined the DABCAST experimental multiplex, which is operated by BCAST, a company owned by Cyfrowy Polsat. The station can be listened to by receivers with tuners supporting DAB+. Currently, listeners from the capital can listen to eight stations broadcast on the DABCAST multiplex. In addition to Radio Parada, these include Muzo.FM, Muzyczne Radio from Jelenia Góra, Pop Radio from Pruszków, Radio 7 from Mlawa, Radio Bezpieczna Podróż, Radio Maryja and Radio Jasna Góra from Częstochowa. The broadcast is carried on channel 11B and the bitrate of each station is 136 kbps.

(Wirtualnemedia.pl) Read more

New stations on DAB+ multiplexes

24.01.2023 - Poland

Residents of Gdańsk and Wrocław can now listen to Radio Jasna Góra from Częstochowa. The Catholic radio station has joined the DABCAST experimental multiplexes of BCAST, a company owned by Cyfrowy Polsat. Radio Parada is to join the company's Warsaw multiplex. In Gdansk, the station can be listened to on channel 5C, and in Wroclaw on channel 12B. The station broadcasts with a bitrate of 136 kbps. Radio Jasna Góra is also available in multiplexes in Krakow, Szczecin, Lodz, Opole, Andrychów, Szczawnica and Warsaw.

(Wirtualnemedia.pl) Read more

Poznan DAB+ multiplex increases coverage

23.01.2023 - Poland

The Poznan DAB+ digital radio multiplex, operated by Dabcom, has extended its coverage. This is the result of moving its transmitter from a high-rise building in the centre of Poznan to the chimney of EC Karolin. The multiplex is still broadcast on channel 5C. Thanks to the relocation of the transmitter, the radio stations available via this multiplex can be listened to not only by the inhabitants of Poznan, but by the entire region. Dabcom's Poznan DAB+ multiplex currently comprises nine stations: Muzo.fm, Radio Elka, Radio Konin.FM, Wasze Radio FM, Radio Profeto, Disco Radio, Mega Radio, Radio Nuta and WP Radio.

(WirtualneMedia.pl) Read more

More stations on Polish test multiplexes

02.01.2023 - Poland

People using DAB+ digital radio receivers in Łódź and Opole can hear new radio stations on test multiplexes belonging to the company PSN Infrastruktura. In Łódź, Twoje Radio from Stargard, Nasze Radio Nostalgicznie from Sieradz, Strefa FM from Piotrków Trybunalski and Radio Rekord Kielce made their debut on the multiplex. Listeners in Opole, meanwhile, received access to Radio Rekord Kielce and Twój Radio from Stargard.

(Wirtualnemedia.pl) Read more

Radio Torun is broadcasting on DAB+

28.12.2022 - Poland

A new radio station, Radio Toruń, is broadcasting in Toruń. It can only be listened to by those who have a DAB+ receiver, because the broadcaster has received a licence to broadcast digitally. "As we do not operate on FM, we can afford a slight de-formatting, so we are betting on original programmes to be more noticeable on the market," announces Tomasz Kaczynski, editor-in-chief of Radio Toruń.

(Wirtualnemedia.pl) Read more

Pruszków radio now on in Warsaw and Łódź

22.12.2022 - Poland

POPradio, the local radio station from Pruszków, is now also available digitally on test multiplexes in Warsaw and Łódź. "On air, we encourage people to consider choosing equipment capable of receiving DAB+ when planning the purchase of a new radio," says Krzysztof Pietrzak, Member of the Management Board and Technical Director of POPradio.

(Wirtualnemedia.pl) Read more

WP Radio starts DAB+ broadcasts

06.12.2022 - Poland

WP Radio (owned by Wirtualna Polska) has started broadcasting in DAB+ technology in seven cities. It has started simultaneous broadcasting in DAB+ in all locations covered by the licences of the National Broadcasting Council: in Warsaw, Tarnow, Poznan, Torun, Rzeszow, Katowice and Czestochowa. The licences were granted to the radio station in 2020 and test broadcasts were carried out, in cooperation with broadcasting networks, in several locations last year. "The path taken by many stations in Western Europe also inspires our WP Radio. We do not intend to compete with FM stations, but as Wirtualna Polska we always believe in the sense of looking for new ways," says Aleksandra Karpińska-Gugała, head of the Open FM platform.

(Wirtualnemedia.pl) Read more

A test broadcast of the DAB+ multiplex in Łódź has started

14.11.2022 - Poland

The test transmission of the DAB+ multiplex with local coverage was launched in Łódź on 10 November, confirmed Dorota Ostrowska, sales manager for broadcasting services at PSN Infrastruktura, in an interview with Wirtualnemedia.pl. According to the website of the Office of Electronic Communications, the digital radio multiplex in the city will be able to broadcast until 1 August 2023. In the Lodz region, PSN Infrastruktura is also the operator of a public multiplex containing the nationwide programmes of Polskie Radio and Polskie Radio Lodz.

(Wirtualnemedia.pl) Read more

Muzyczne Radio from Jelenia Góra available on DAB+ in four cities

06.10.2022 - Poland

On Wednesday, 5 October, Muzyczne Radio appeared on the DABCAST experimental multiplex in Warsaw, Katowice, Gdańsk and Wrocław. This means that the local station from Jelenia Góra can already be heard in ten locations on the digital airwaves. At the end of July, we reported that the Office of Electronic Communications had extended the broadcasting permits for the DABCAST experimental multiplexes. The MUXs can operate until 1 July 2023.

(WirtualneMedia.pl) Read more