News

In the last 12 months DAB+ has made significant progress - both in and out of the car. In this article, WorldDAB Automotive Working Group chair Laurence Harrison takes a closer look at some of the highlights of DAB+ development over the past year, and what we can expect to see from in-car infotainment systems in the near future.

With the launch of DAB+ services in Lyon and Strasbourg in December 2018, 21.3% of the French population is now covered by digital radio broadcasts. This figure (over 20%) triggers a law which will require all new radios sold in France to include DAB+. Consumer radios will need to be digital within 12 months; and automotive radios will need to comply within 18 months.

According to the figures released in the latest survey by Nielsen, the positive development in radio listening witnessed at the end of 2018 has continued into the new year, with daily coverage up by 14.2% compared to December 2018.

Broadcasters looking to apply for a DAB+ licences have two months to submit their applications to the CSA, which is expected to evaluate the applications and grant relevant broadcasting licences in four months' time. This marks the first time a tender offering frequencies in both digital and analogue radio is launched in Belgium.

RAI switched on 8 new transmitters at the end of 2018, bringing the total number of DAB+ transmitters operated by the public broadcaster in the country to 33, with the total national coverage in Italy now standing at 49%.

The first product of the partnership between Technisat and Jette Joop is the Transita 100 DAB+ radio, which comes in two entirely new designs - Wave and leaf, and Zigzag.

The Walloon public broadcaster has switched from the older DAB standard to DAB+, with the new standard offering a more efficient use of digital capacity and better audio quality. In Flanders, public broadcaster VRT has been broadcasting on DAB+ since October 2017.

DAB+ continues its expansion in Germany, with Antenne Deutschland - a joint venture between Media Broadcast and Absolut Digital - due to start building and operating the country's second national network. In Austria, ORS - a subsidiary of the Austrian public broadcaster - will be launching the new multiplex in Vienna in May 2019, with 85% of the population of the country expected to be covered with DAB+ by 2020.

According to a survey conducted by PCtipp in 2018, sales of DAB+ radios in Switzerland are expected to boom throughout 2019. This marks the first time DAB+ radios are featured within the top four devices desired by consumers in Switzerland, alongside laptops, smartphones and TVs.

85% of the population of Austria is expected to be covered by DAB+ signals by 2020 as the country prepares for significant expansions in the field of DAB+ in 2019. The first phase of the expansion will be taking place on 28 May 2019 with the launch of the new multiplex in Vienna.