Trevor Hawkins M5AKA

Ofcom Statement on DAB - Medium Wave DRM switchover in prospect?

Ofcom has published its final statement on the further development of Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) radio.

Ofcom will allocate three blocks of VHF Band III spectrum to fill the gaps in local multiplex coverage, so providing the opportunity to every part of the UK to receive local DAB Digital Radio services (including both commercial and BBC local and nations radio services), and one block to a further national commercial multiplex to provide additional choice for as many listeners as possible.

It has also published a consultation to seek views on the licensing process for this additional local and national DAB capacity.

The full documents can be found below.

Statement on Radio Licensing Policy for VHF Band III:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/vhf/statement/

Consultation - The Future Licensing of DAB Digital Radio:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/dab/

It was pleasing to see that the VHF Band III statement acknowledged the input of Radio Amateurs. The Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society (CARS) put in a very detailed and well-argued response and Ofcom have picked up on several of the points raised by CARS. Search for Chelmsford and CARS in the document.

The full CARS response can be downloaded from http://www.g0mwt.org.uk/ofcomfold/tvfold/cars-band3-dab-radio-reply.pdf
See also the CARS Digital TV & Radio page at http://www.g0mwt.org.uk/ofcomfold/tvfold/tv.htm

Section 5 of the Ofcom DAB document has much to say on DRM (designed for use in the broadcast bands between 150 kHz and 108 MHz). Ofcom ask the question

"Should Ofcom not re-license any AM stations but instead use the spectrum for DRM stations?"

We are clearly fast approaching the time when the phased switch off of Medium and Long Wave AM transmitters and their replacement with DRM will be addressed.

Ofcom say they intend to embark upon a major consultative project in 2006 to help to develop a plan for the future of radio in the UK. To me this looks like the development of the long awaited Radio Digital Switchover Plan to mirror that currently being carried out for TV.

AM has dominated broadcasting for nearly a century. Radios built in the 1920's will still receive today's Medium/Long Wave broadcasts but over the next decade all that is about to change.

Many of today's Radio Amateurs started off by building crystal sets and simple TRF/SuperRegen radios. Soon there will be nothing left for such simple equipment to receive. All broadcasting will be digital and that's bound to impact on the entry point to home construction.

73 Trevor M5AKA

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