IBOC proponents introduced the concept of encryption at NAB2007 and now Digital Radio Express says its digitized FM subcarrier technology can be encrypted as well so that only certain receivers can decode the digital signal.
The FMeXtra encryption system is based on Secure Real-time Transport Protocol developed by Cisco Systems, Ericsson Research and other network security experts.
DRE says its encryption technology, also called conditional access, includes AES stream encryption, SHA data authentication, timed keys and encrypted key table management. The DRE software package includes tools for activating and deactivating individual or groups of receivers.
All FMeXtra radios in production are conditional access-ready and a software update for previous FMeXtra encoder versions is available at no charge, according to the company.
With DRE’s open standards-based approach, a station can use a single conditional access solution across a range of networks and devices including PDAs and mobile phones, the company says. Sample applications include reading services for the blind, member-only listener channels, secure emergency and altering systems, and private radio networks.
