WorldDAB at the ABU Digital Broadcasting Symposium 2025

24.01.2025 by Dr. Les Sabel

WorldDAB is again a major sponsor of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union’s (ABU) Digital Broadcasting Symposium (DBS) on 24 - 27 February in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The ABU DBS is the premier technical symposium in the APAC region focussing on the broadcasting industry. WorldDAB considers the Asia-Pacific region as a key and ongoing area of DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcasting) development, and has been sponsoring the ABU DBS for over a decade.

We are currently seeing increased growth in DAB+ activities across Asia. The Thai regulator NBTC recently published its Digital Broadcasting Frequency Plan and Technical Standards for Digital Broadcasting Equipment and Receivers. The department of Kominfo in Indonesia has also published their plans for DAB+ with service licensing expected this year, as well as the public broadcaster Radio Republik Indonesia preparing for an expansion of their DAB+ network in 2025. Additionally, the Malaysian regulator MCMC is also undertaking further studies of DAB+ through their Malaysian Technical Standards Forum Bhd.

Teo Nie Ching, Deputy Minister of Communications, Malaysia talks to WorldDAB Project Director Bernie O'Neill at the WorldDAB Pavilion, ABU DBS 2024

The ABU DBS attracts a wide range of broadcast industry professionals and covers timely topics to help the broadcast industry move forward and thrive in modern times. At the event, WorldDAB will offer a DAB+ workshop on 24 February (09:30 - 12:30), and also have a pavilion at the conference exhibition from 25 - 27 February. The pavilion will also host a number of major industry players: Paneda from Sweden, AVT Audio Visual Technologies from Germany, Aldena from Italy and RadioDNS from the UK.

This year, the WorldDAB workshop is focused on “Innovations in implementing DAB+: safety and efficiency”. Supporting this theme, the event includes the demonstration of the newest and most advanced broadcast Emergency Warning System which was completed by WorldDAB in 2024 and is branded as the Automatic Safety Alert (ASA). Demonstrations will take place on the WorldDAB pavilion during the conference.

DAB+ ASA helps save lives

The "Automatic Safety Alert (ASA)" system is a pioneering innovation in DAB+ digital radio technology that aims to protect the public during emergencies by delivering reliable safety alerts without requiring an internet connection. Listeners will benefit from a system that alerts them even if mobile or internet connections are disrupted. ASA operates automatically in the background, can be regionally adjusted for the location, and boasts high resilience thanks to the robust DAB+ radio transmission network. By mid-2025, new generations of DAB+ radios will support the ASA standard.

DAB+ is the most energy efficient digital broadcast radio system

DAB+ has been demonstrated to be the most energy efficient digital broadcast radio system available. There have been many studies to demonstrate this fact, and at the ABU DBS we build on this to provide governments, regulators and broadcasters with more information about how DAB+ capabilities, and how WorldDAB continues to support new energy efficiency initiatives.

WorldDAB workshop and conference activities

ASA will also be featured in the WorldDAB workshop, where Lindsay Cornell, Chair of the WorldDAB Technical Committee, will provide a detailed description of its capabilities and introduction to broadcasting systems worldwide. The workshop will also include updates on DAB+ establishment progress from SE-Asian and African countries and features presentations on the latest developments from major suppliers of multiplexer, transmitter, antenna and monitoring systems with emphasis on safety and efficiency.

The theme of the workshop flows into the main conference, with a number of presentations including Lindsay Cornell on the benefits of ASA, Nick Piggott, Project Director of RadioDNS and Vice-President of WorldDAB, on the benefits of hybrid radio in vehicles, and Dr. Les Sabel on why DAB+ is the “green choice” for digital broadcast radio.

Meet WorldDAB at the ABU DBS 2025

The ABU DBS is the biggest broadcast focused event of its kind in the region, it’s great for networking, the WorldDAB stand is always a great place to meet people and learn more about DAB+, and we’re already excited about seeing friends old and new.

Register here for the ABU DBS event which will be held at the Wyndham Acmar Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. The WorldDAB pavilion will be part of the Conference Exhibition. 

The author is the WorldDAB Asia-Pacific Technical Group chair and Principal Consultant at S-Comm Technlogies, Australia. He has been involved with DAB digital radio broadcasting since 2002 and works with WorldDAB and broadcasters and regulators around the globe to provide education and development solutions for the introduction and expansion of DAB+ systems.