FCC adopts digital broadcasting standard

The FCC has adopted the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) standard for US HF Broadcasting Service (HFBC) digital
transmission.

DRM is capable of providing near-FM quality sound within
current AM emission bandwidths. Adoption of the DRM standard was among several actions the FCC took in a wide-ranging Report and Order (R&O) in response to World Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03)--ET Docket
04-139. The FCC authorized both digital audio broadcasting and datacasting.

It said channels using digitally modulated emissions may share the same spectrum or be interleaved with analog emissions in the same HFBC band, provided the protection afforded to the analog emissions is at least as great as that currently in place for analog-to-analog protection.

The Commission authorized double-sideband (DSB), single-sideband (SSB), and digital transmissions in HF bands between 5900 and 26,100 kHz, and it set minimum HFBC power levels of 50 kW PEP for SSB.

In the same proceeding the FCC also reallocated the 7100-7200 kHz band to the Amateur Service on a co-primary basis and reallocated the 7350-7400 kHz band to the HFBC Service on a co-primary basis with the fixed service until March 29, 2009, after hich it will be allocated exclusively for broadcasting.

Source: ARRL Letter - courtesy of The American Radio Relay League

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