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HD-R Swiss Trial Goes to Next Phase; HD-R Part of BMW Test Vehicle

The companies conducting a field trial of HD Radio in Switzerland are testing a BMW equipped to receive IBOC, DRM and FM analog signals.

The companies conducting a field trial of HD Radio in Switzerland are testing a BMW equipped to receive IBOC, DRM and FM analog signals.

The HD Radio signals are broadcast from a transmitter in central Switzerland, delivering “surprisingly good results under difficult frequency and topographical conditions,” according to proponents.

An HD Radio field trial, underway in Switzerland since 2006, is entering a second phase that will include using an IBOC translator for the Lucerne region. Markus Ruoss heads the Swiss field trial; he’s the majority shareholder in Radio Sunshine and owner of Ruoss AG, an electronic media-consulting firm.

In the announcement, Ruoss stated that he’s received “a lively stream of interested visitors,” such as automotive industry suppliers, who come to Switzerland and test their HD-R equipment. Government and industry association representatives from neighboring countries have visited to learn how HD Radio works under laboratory and field conditions, according to Ruoss.

The advocates say that for economic reasons, local and regional broadcasters require a different digital solution than do national services. They see DAB+ serving region-wide broadcasting in a given language, and FM IBOC for local/regional programs.

DRM and FMExtra are also being tested as possible alternatives to current FM technology.

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