Media Mobile and Teracom have begun to test digital radio car systems in Sweden, as reported by My News Desk.
Currently, 5.9 million Swedes listen to the radio for about two hours per day, and according to the Nordic Information Centre for Media and Communication Research (Nordicom), six out of 10 drivers listen to FM radio in the car.
FM is the method that currently transmits traffic information to Swedish drivers, but these companies have begun to test digital radio as a replacement for analog radio.
According to the article, DAB-TPEG combines FM radio’s unique advantages such as stability and free reception everywhere with modern technology’s flexibility and power. With digital radio, says the report, car users have access to traffic information on accidents, road conditions and queues, all updated in real time. And transmission capacity will enable the receipt of more messages and improved graphics, it states.
The Swedish government has appointed an industry coordinator to suggest a transition path. The premise is that a switchover will be fully implemented in 2022. It is sometimes suggested that radio should be distributed via a mobile broadband network rather than via a terrestrial network. But relying solely on mobile networks is not feasible, according to Petter Djerf of Media Mobile.
