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In order to accelerate the development of DAB+, the CSA draws the lessons of a first assessment after having solicited views through a public consultation. The findings presented include launches during July 2018 and July 2019 to boost DAB+ services in France.

Zenderexploitant Broadcast Partners has the DAB+ station, expanded with more and stronger channels in the network. As a result, the signal from the national commercial radio stations on DAB + has been improved so that the programs can be received in almost the entire country. With this upgrade, according to the commercial channels, the indoor reception has also been improved, but it still depends on buildings and constructions on site

The well-known radio brand Virgin Radio is also active in Switzerland from this month. On Wednesday, January 17, Virgin Radio Hits and Virgin Radio Rock will start via the internet and DAB + in German-Switzerland.

The national commercial radio stations, united in the VCR, are now even better to receive via DAB+. The optimization of the network on channel 11C has been completed, which has greatly improved reception in large parts of the country. Outdoors, the coverage has increased from 95 to over 97%. Indoors this has increased from 40 to almost 75%. The total DAB+ network of national commercial channels now consists of 39 channels.

The national DAB + network of commercial national radio stations, united in the Commercial Radio Association (VCR), has expanded considerably since 1 January. As a result, the signal from the national commercial radio stations on DAB + is now so good that the programs can be received in almost the entire country (> 97%). With this upgrade, in-house reception will have to improve considerably.

With the "plan of nodes and arcs", the objective is now to make "fast and viable", that is to say to carry out within three years (2018-2020) a first phase of deployment of the DAB +, partial but "economically sound", restricted to the densest areas of the territory, the nodes, and the major highways and roads that connect them, the arches.

Broadcast Partners, the network manager of the national commercial DAB + network, has expanded the DAB + network on behalf of the Commercial Radio Association (VCR) with new channels and, in addition, increased the transmission capabilities of a number of existing channels. In the new situation, the reach of the national commercial radio stations on DAB + is such that in more than 97% of the country reception is possible outside the home.

Imports of radios in the pre-Christmas months have increased by almost 90 percent from the same time last year. Many of the over 350,000 devices are DAB radios.

Thanks to crowdfunding, TOPradio can continue to broadcast on DAB+ for at least another year. As a result, TOPradio loses its advertising revenue, while that money is needed to continue to broadcast digitally, via DAB+.

In Flanders, the 'Digital Switch Over' took place on 1 January, as Club FM, Family Radio, Radio Maria and TOPradio have disappeared from FM and can only be received on DAB + in the air. The four former chain radios have a greater reach via DAB+ than they ever had on FM. An improvement of the DAB+ reception around Antwerp, Ghent, Leuven and parts of Limburg has already been planned in the coming months. After that, the DAB+ network managed by Norkring will be expanded even further so that the commercial stations on DAB+ can be listened to everywhere in Flanders.