Ofcom DAB switchover coverage planning proposals
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV The proposals cover the most pressing needs for the DAB network:
- provision of local radio DAB for those areas with no current coverage
- coverage of both homes and in-car use
- the addition of a new block (5A) that will allow the local radio blocks to expand to fill the "editorial" coverage areas to match the current FM areas
- the use of 99%/99% DAB prediction for indoor home reception, and normal car use.
Of particular interest are:
- FM current coverage maps and tables which show maps for the current BBC local radio and largest commercial local radio for each "editorial region".
- Local DAB build-out plans that show the expected coverage for each DAB area after various plans have been implemented.
Ofcom is asking for responses using this online form: Responding to the DAB Coverage Planning consultation by 5pm on 14 September 2011.
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Tuesday, 19 July 2011
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Trevor Harris1:57 PM
Now digital have only promised to build one transmitter now in the Barnstable area, They have promised to build the other 2 six months after a positive decision in 2013 by Government regarding digital switchover. In other words never.
The corrupt method of bribing commercial stations to build DAB stations in exchange for FM licences is immoral. It prevents new stations gaining licences and it prevents the public from having any say about what stations they want in there area.
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michael2:04 PM
It can presumably be deduced that:-
1. Eventually 10C with BBC regional radio will cover 93% of the area (or of the population?) of North Devon;
2. Until 93% of whichever is achieved, BBC regional radio will continue on FM;
3. That there will be no guarantee of reception of BBC regional radio if DAB does not reach places that currently only AM reaches.
4. Should NowDigital struggle to retain enough sound-alike broadcasters to fill its multiplex to remain solvent, BBC regional radio would nevertheless continue on 10C.
Clarification would be much appreciated.
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Mark6:32 PM
@ Trevor Harris
You have chosen to quote directly from Grant Goddard's blog, but this is what Ed Vaizey (the minister responsible) said on 5th July 2011:
"We remain confident that agreement [for funding] can be reached and that the necessary build-out of the local and national DAB platforms will be made to support a positive switchover decision.
We are still on course for a decision on switchover in 2013."
Given this statement it's somewhat premature to be making a firm declaration that it will not happen.
@ michael
1. Yes, when the funding can be sorted. There is a provisional agreement in place but the terms of this are unclear as it hasn't been finalised. I think the 93% figure relates to the number households.
2. Yes
3. I'm not sure how many people receive BBC Radio Devon by AM only. The 93% relates to "robust indoor coverage". Some of the remaining 7% will still receive some indoor coverage or coverage via an aerial. Ofcom have claimed that the population figures are on the conservative side so that 7% figure may in fact be lower. Of course the Radioplayer will also be available for listening.
4. Now Digital is wholly owned by the transmission company Arqiva and they are not going to go bust. In the unlikely event of them handing the licence back to Ofcom someone else (such as MuxCo or Global) would take it on and BBC Radio Devon will continue on 10C.
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Peter Henderson8:38 PM
Newtownabbey
I was in Salou Spain a couple of weeks ago. Gues how many stations were receivable on band II (i.e. 88-108 MHz) ? At least 40-50 and probably more, as there were so many it was very difficult to count. Who needs DAB when you've this many stations on FM ?
Back to Belfast, a city with around 500,000 inhabitants (including the surrounding areas) and only 9 stations (along with 3
long term community stations). Even our DAB is crap (still no Digital One)
So why can't the UK have 40-50 stations on the FM band ? As someone who has travelled widely throughout Europe, I can tell you that most countries, especially the Mediterranean ones, have FM bands with loads of stations all playing a wide variaty of music as well as speach. Is radio in general in UK far to tightly regulated by Ofcom ?
I think the main problem will be getting affordable car radios with DAB. OK, so you have devices like the the Pure Highway, but it's cumbersome to use (far too many trailing wires) and the sound quality isn't great, in my opinion.
Then there's the DAB+ problem as well. If the UK switches to this standard just how many DAB radios will become obselete ? A vast majority of DAB radios sold in the UK at present aren't DAB+ compatable, even with a software update.
Personally, I think the whole process could turn into an embarrassing farce for the government and Ofcom.
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Peter's: mapP's Freeview map terrainP's terrain plot wavesP's frequency data P's Freeview Detailed Coverage
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Mark9:06 PM
We don't have 40-50 stations in the UK because the BBC national networks are planned to give 99% coverage (94% indoors) so they are true national networks.
In some other countries (such as Spain, Italy & France) the so-called "national" networks have poor coverage outside the main cities.
You will get Digital One in NI when analogue TV in the Republic is switched off in 2012. The proposed sites are in this document:
http://stakeholders.ofcom….pdf
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Wednesday, 20 July 2011
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michael10:04 AM
Mark, thanks for your detailed response, which does clarify and confirm my assumptions. Heart has a local FM relay, which BBC Radio Devon strangely does not! Eventually DAB relays will hopefully fill in the shadowlands, but that may be some time off. I will not be buying a quality DAB receiver until coverage is implemented. Many budget DAB receivers do not have an external antenna socket. But I have a soldering iron... I look forward to Brians development of DAB coverage maps and may install a DAB yagi on the roof for experimental purposes.
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Trevor Harris12:29 PM
@Mark
Ed Vaizey is a politician he is in no position to say otherwise. My guess that in 2013 he will put off having to make a decision until he leaves his position in government.
The real problem comes when the BBC finds it cannot switchoff it's national FM stations. One solution would be to do as Portugal has done and that is just to switch off DAB. Most DAB receivers have an FM tuner in any case. The BBC could pay compensation which would be alot cheaper than keeping the costly DAB network going. Another alternative would be to do as Spain has done and reduce the coverage. Another solution would be to build a network based on DRM which would make FM and DAB redundent.
DAB has a spectral efficency of about 0.674 kbps/kHz. For DRM it is 1.91 kbps/khz about 2.8 times more efficient. DRM can also use the AAC codec which makes it even more efficient and so support 5 times the number of stations. AAC also supports surround sound which the BBC is developing. DRM is not a multiplex system which means that it is better suited to local radio and can be fitted into the FM white space.
Yet another advantage of DRM is that it works in the LW, MW and SW bands. Infact this is very attractive in that it only needs 2 transmitters for national coverage.
DAB is dead long live FM, LW, MW & SW.
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Mark6:26 PM
DRM is dead in the water - when the BBC experimented with it in Plymouth there were night-time interference issues and there are still no radios on the shelves some ten years after the technology was finalised. There is no sign of DRM+ radios in retailers either whereas there are loads of DAB radios on sale.
13 million DAB radios have been sold in the UK (1 million in the last six months)(these are June 2011 figures) and 38.2% of households have at least one DAB radio (source: GfK - March 2011).
The position in the UK is nothing like Spain or Portugal - you cannot just switch off transmitters and leave 38.2% of households with expensive ornaments (even if most of them will also receive FM - and that's not much good for listening to the 5 BBC digital-only networks, or the awful AM quality of 5 Live).
Spain & Portugal have got away with it because hardly any DAB radios have been sold there.
I don't want to put up with the limited choice on FM in the car, I want to listen to the broad choice of stations that DAB gives, such as 6 Music, Jazz FM, Radio 4 Extra & Absolute (the latter isn't on FM outside London).
I also want Test Match Special without them going to the shipping forecast at a vital moment, or missing 30 minutes of play for Yesterday In Parliament, as happens in winter.
Meanwhile I see that the VW Beetle is the latest car to have DAB fitted as standard:
First UK details of all-new Beetle - Scotcars
There is no sign of DRM in any cars as yet.
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Steve P7:34 PM
Presumably there will not be DRM in cars or on sale in shops until there are broadcasts?
13m DAB radios sounds impressive - but how many FM receivers - of all types - are there in use? Including clock radios, music systems, ipods, mp3 players, tranny in the bathroom, garage, shed; every car in the country. Well over 200million. So that's a 6% penetration.
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