Frontier Silicon will be demonstrating its latest digital radio tuner module at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair this week.
The tuner, called Verona, is targeted at the global digital radio market and combines FM with the WorldDMB Profile 1 of DAB, DAB+ and DMB-Radio in one module measuring 48x28mm.
It is based on the UK firm’s Kino 3 baseband IC which includes enough on-chip memory to demodulate and decode all three WorldDMB standards in one.
Even compared with the rest of the world, the UK is leading the rollout out of digital radio services which is heavily dependent on the cost of the radio receiver.
The UK government’s Digital Britain report targets the sub-£20 radio as one of the key requirements for switching to digital.
France is expected to begin digital migration this year with all receivers requiring a DMB-Radio tuner by 2013. Italy and Germany are also scheduled to launch DAB+ this year joining established markets in Switzerland and Australia.
“Quality radios at affordable prices are a key factor to mass market adoption,” said Ford Ennals, CEO of Digital Radio UK.
Anthony Sethill, CEO of Frontier Silicon, believes the new tuner can make radios more affordable, and this “will drive mass consumer uptake and provide the catalyst for digital radio migration across Europe during the next five years.”
Frontier Silicon is already shipping DAB+ tuners in volume.