WorldDAB members at IBC2023: Fraunhofer IIS

Alexander Zink, Chief Business Development Manager, Digital Radio & Broadcast Applications, Fraunhofer-Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, Germany

Give us a brief introduction to your organisation and the role it plays in the radio sector...

For over 30 years, Fraunhofer IIS has been a constant innovator in digital radio services and technologies, and a reliable supplier to the radio broadcasting industry – all along the broadcast chain from studio to receiver, and with plenty of integrated one-stop solutions for quick-to-market manufacturer success.

In terms of technologies, Fraunhofer IIS has comprehensive know-how on the DAB+ and DRM standards themselves, the required audio codecs, data application codecs including Journaline text application and Emergency Warning Functionality (EWF), and transport protocols such as EDI/MDI, the modern IP-based studio-transmitter link.

Our ready-to-use solutions span the entire transmission chain from the well-established ContentServer technology to the audio and Journaline encoder components all the way to the receiver-side decoder and chipset modules. The full-featured and ready-to-deploy DAB+ MultimediaPlayer radio app brings digital radio to mobile platforms and our professional, automotive-grade SDR software features maximum-ratio-combining (DAB-MRC) as well as platform-integrating hybrid radio.

In addition, we develop ready-to-deploy services and proposals for new business opportunities, such as public signage services, remote content monitoring services, and radio schooling.

How do you see the digital radio sector evolving in the coming years?

DAB will most likely strengthen its position as the most relevant digital radio standard in Europe. Existing networks will be expanded to ensure highest coverage levels. There will also be a demand for additional networks – for the public broadcasters but also in particular for private radio stations. We also expect DAB to gain relevance outside of Europe, particularly in metropolitan areas and regions with a comparable population density.

Furthermore, digital radio will become an important part of regional, national, and international emergency warning dissemination. Radio is omnipresent and therefore predestined to function as a warning medium. The information can reach people without being dependent on less robust local information infrastructures like Internet or mobile networks. As opposed to analogue radio, digital radio offers important additional features such as automatic receiver wake-up from standby, supplementary and detailed information in multiple languages, and the possibility to emit the warning to receivers in the affected area only.

What DAB+ products or services are you showcasing at IBC2023?

We are showcasing our DAB ContentServer and SDR-based solutions with a focus on professional markets such as monitoring equipment and the automotive industry.

These solutions contain technologies mainly developed by Fraunhofer, such as the audio codecs AAC and its successor xHE-AAC, which offers seamless transition between bitrates, works equally well for music and speech content even at very low bitrates, and has built-in Dynamic Range Control (DRC) for consistent playback loudness. The Journaline Digital Radio text service allows radio stations to effortlessly deliver information directly to the radioset when listeners previously had to retrieve from online websites after a media break. Journaline plays a particularly important role for Emergency Warnings (EWF) with multiple language support and for persons with hearing impairments.