Major new milestone for DAB+ in France on 12 October

06.10.2021

Seven years after the commercial launch of DAB+ in Paris, Nice and Marseille, a major step change in the deployment of DAB+ in France takes place on 12 October 2021. 25 national radios stations (19 commercial, 6 public) will launch, covering the major motorway corridors of Paris-Lyon-Marseille. These 25 radios are in addition to the hundreds of radio stations already available regionally and locally on DAB+, and bringing DAB+ coverage to over 30% of the French population. This launch is complemented by further new regional deployments taking place in Dijon, Avignon, Toulon as well as new multiplexes going on air in the major city of Marseille.

DAB+ RECEIVER SALES DOUBLE IN THE LAST YEAR

This deployment, aimed primarily at listeners on the move, comes at a time when the number of new vehicles in France equipped with DAB+ now exceeds 90%, with over 4 million vehicles in France now equipped with a DAB+ car radio. In the first half of 2021, nearly 200,000 domestic DAB+ receivers were sold, which is a doubling of receiver sales between 2020 and 2021.

TELLING LISTENERS ABOUT THE NEW DAB+ SERVICES 

Radio stations are now actively informing listeners about their arrival over the airwaves on the major motorway axes with on air announcements and via their websites, asking them to use the re-scan function of their DAB+ radio receivers to find all the new services that will be on air. Several press conferences are planned by the radio industry in the run up to the launch on 12th October.