Australian DAB+ Trial Extended Until June 2015

Sep 3, 2014 1:57 PM, Doug Irwin, CPBE AMD DRB

SYDNEY�Commercial Radio Australia, the trial licensee (on behalf of the Australian Broadcasting Company, and the Special Broadcasting Service) welcomed the decision by the Australian Communications and Media Authority to extend the DAB+ test period, in Canberra and Darwin, till June 30th of 2015. The trial licenses have been extended to provide an opportunity for broadcasters to experiment with new features and functionality on DAB+, as well as to continue testing a range of planning techniques and equipment types

The DAB+ trial signal in both Canberra and Darwin is at low power, but even so, ongoing tests have indicated that the coverage is good for a large part of the Canberra and Darwin areas. A �boost” was required to retransmit the trial signal into Parliament House and this has provided additional testing opportunities for �in building� coverage in a challenging structure. The trial services continue to be subject to occasional interruptions and changes in power for ongoing technical testing.

�Both trials have provided valuable insights into coverage planning that will help ensure regional rollout of DAB+ provides cost effective reception,� said Joan Warner, the CEO of Commercial Radio Australia. �In addition, CRA has been testing transmission of emergency information across DAB+, fully utilizing the slide show and scrolling text features of DAB+.�