A Quick Tour of DAB Across Europe - Radio World
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Digitalradio Büro Deutschland recently published a look at the state of DAB+ broadcasting across the continent.

I wonder what is the rationale. Will be shitty if all FM radios become bricks because of some stupid push to obsolete them.

Or is there a smarter plan, like using the bandwidth for something more worthy than FM radio?

UPDATE

Some more FM advantages:

Fast channel changing.

Better reception. There is a station in my city that transmits both DAB and FM. Their DAB signal has chronic cut-outs but their FM station is good enough. And in general, weak FM signals are still useful while weak DAB signals are unusable. So a DAB-only policy marginalises people who live remote from the cities.

  • ohulancutash@feddit.ukEnglish
    5·
    30 days ago

    From Arqiva’s written evidence to UK Parliament, 2022:

    • There has been no evidence of demand or requests from stakeholders for access to Band II or MW spectrum for non-broadcasting use.

    • Ofcom’s studies did not conclude a clear or emerging picture of how AM and FM spectrum could be used if vacated by broadcasting. Although several different technologies and applications were reviewed, there was no evidence of development, demand or compatible equipment that could be used if these frequency bands were vacated.

    • The total bandwidth that would be available if the whole of Band II were to be made available is just over 20MHz. The amount of bandwidth available to any individual device using that band would most likely be significantly less, or be time-shared in some way, to manage interference between users.

    • In the absence of any international moves to standardise alternative technologies in Band II, potential candidates for alternative technologies that could be considered to use a modest bandwidth either planned or on an opportunistic basis include the Internet of Things Devices, White Space Devices and remote telemetry, for example by utility companies.

    • The Internet of Things (IoT) is the interconnection via the internet of computing devices embedded in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data. The popularity of IoT, and the various solutions this technology provides has resulted in increased development and a rise of use in business applications. As a result, there may be demand for Band II spectrum for IoT applications if that capacity ever becomes available. As the spectrum remains in use for broadcasting in most countries in the world, the market for such devices is small and there is no known demand at present.

    • Potential use for White Space Devices includes infrastructure monitoring and commercial wireless broadband applications but the concept of these devices and the demand for these applications is currently low within the marketplace which would suggest little or no demand at present for use of Band II or MW spectrum.

    • The use of this spectrum for remote telemetry by utility companies is a possibility. Development within the utilities sector of smart meters and infrastructure sensors continues, but with no current demand for access to additional spectrum. If monitoring or the transfer data requirements grow a demand for spectrum could develop.

    From the broadcasters’ perspective, FM represents significant additional cost in addition to DAB. There will come a tipping point where they no longer need to continue with this.

    • GreatAlbatross@feddit.ukEnglish
      3·
      29 days ago

      The IoT stuff needing it’s own bands can get in the sea, imho.
      Need to actually speak to the internet? Use one of the usual standard ways of connecting wirelessly. Need to communicate locally? Use one of the many options there (433/868/2.4/5)

      It would end up with probably one national provider charging a mint for the service.

  • DosDudeA
    41·
    30 days ago

    Dab reception is still shit indoors. I’m not going to drill an antenna through my house just to get better reception. So if FM falls, I won’t be listening to the radio anymore.

    • Patch@feddit.uk
      3·
      30 days ago

      In your own home, couldn’t you just use internet radio instead?

      I mostly listen to BBC radio, and I default to listening over BBC Sounds rather than DAB when I’ve got a WiFi connection. I mostly only use DAB when I’m in the car or out in the garden.

      • DosDudeA
        3·
        30 days ago

        Yes. But i have a stereo with DAB capabilities. It’s not ideal connecting via bluetooth to listen to internet radio.

      • evenwicht@lemmy.sdf.orgOP
        1·
        28 days ago

        In your own home, couldn’t you just use internet radio instead?

        Internet radio is certainly not a replacement for broadcast radio.

        • Internet at home is not gratis!
        • Internet has many points of failure; radio does not
        • Internet comes with surveillance
        • Residential Internet has less availability than radio; also, some people are offline by choice.
        • Streaming would suck dry quotas of anyone who gets Internet over prepaid mobile service.
        • Residential Internet subscriptions in many (most?) regions cannot be paid for in cash, thus unbanked people are excluded
        • Cloud streaming has a high carbon footprint (though I’m not sure how it compares to FM transmission’s footprint)
        • Internet service has many middle-men and lacks national sovereignty. Most countries cannot escape using US actors in this industry.