France’s decision to adopt a multi-standard approach to digital radio broadcasts has prompted at least one DAB radio technology supplier to change its product offering to support all standards required for the French market.
“This is a breakthrough moment for the French radio market. Finally, the transition to digital has begun and, as expected, both DAB and DRM standards are joint winners,” said John Hall, RadioScape’s CEO.
The UK firm said it will actively support the development of multi-standard radio receivers capable of supporting DAB based standards including T-DMB and DAB+, as well as DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale), and current analogue standards AM and FM.
“We will support both the receivers market with our multi-standard module product line, as well as the broadcast market with our proven DAB broadcast systems,” said Hall.
Last week, the French industry minister, François Loos, issued a ministerial decree for the transition to Digital Radio in France based on a multi-standard approach.
The AM band (short, medium and long wave) will experience a renewal through the adoption of digital standard, DRM. In addition, the T-DMB implementation of the DAB standard will be used in both Band III and L-Band, with the likely incorporation of the recently announced DAB+ standard.
RadioScape is no stranger to multi-standard radio receivers, it has been supporting both DAB and DRM standards for the last three years. Its RS500 module provides reception for DAB (Band-III & L-Band), DRM (LW, MW & SW), FM-RDS and AM (LW & MW) including AMSS.
”The requirements of the emerging Digital Radio market in France are a perfect natural transition of existing standards support for our multi-standard product line,” said Andrew Dewhurst, RadioScape’s product manager for receivers.
“Our multi-standard module family is currently being enhanced to incorporate support for additional DAB implementations, including DAB+, and will be available later in the year,” said Dewhurst.
A number of countries across Europe and Asia have already adopted the DAB standard, but the emergence of DRM for the digitisation of the AM bands is a more recent phenomena. Already 18 broadcasters are now broadcasting on DRM with over 28 services now on air, amounting to over 230 hours per day.
In the UK the BBC has announced that it is to undertake a trial of DRM, which will allow it to explore digital radio using medium-wave frequencies.
The trial will broadcast BBC Radio Devon using the new technology in the Plymouth area and will last for a year from the end of April.