Radio Republik Indonesia has revealed that it plans to purchase four DRM-capable medium-wave transmitters. The public radio broadcaster says it intends to use the first pair to reach populated areas of the Southeast Asian archipelago, and the second pair for emergency warning in west Sumatra and West Java.
Freddy Ndolu, member of the RRI supervisory board, made the announcement during the Digital Radio Mondiale general assembly, which took place in March. RRI joined the DRM consortium in 2015.
“Radio is now a multiplatform media and DRM is certainly one of the choices that is suitable for a large country like Indonesia with its over 260 million people,” said Ndolu during the event. “DRM can connect its over 16,000 islands offering emergency warning to this country right on the ring of fire.”
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For Ruxandra Obreja, the DRM Consortium chair, this is “a breakthrough following from DRM’s successful performance during RRI tests and demonstrations of the standard on AM and VHF. Indonesia has the technical expertise and the industry is ready and capable to bring digital radio DRM with all its benefits, including disaster warning, to such an expansive area.”
