Another setback for DAB promoters in Denmark
The government and the Danish People's Party (DF) have entered the final phase of the parliamentarian negotiations on the media settlement that will form the framework for the country's media 2019-2024. On the way to the negotiations with Minister of Culture Mette Bock (LA), DF media chairman Morten Marinus states that the media agreement will not open for the government proposed FM switch-off. The idea of a switch-off was to push forward a transition to digital terrestrial DAB radio.
"Why should millions be invested in a technology that is outdated tomorrow?"
Business federations in the federal state of Lower Saxony want to end the digital radio DAB+. The state Court of Auditors is also critical. We talk about digitalization, broadband and the 5G standard being within reach, so why should millions be invested in a technology that is outdated tomorrow? says Volker Müller, CEO of Unternehmerverbände (Employers' organizations).
Analogue and digital radio will co-exist also in the future
Consumer Center South Tyrol welcomes the statement of th regional government that FM broadcasting will continue to function. Earlier the broadcaster Rundfunkanstalt Südtirol (RAS) had taken the position that the old analogue FM network would eventually coming to a switch-off. Many radio listeners were worried that their FM radios would then be dead.
NATO can override national DAB radio frequencies.
Thousands of ordinary Norwegian citizens aren’t the only ones frustrated and dissatisfied after Norway’s forced transition to DAB radio. It meant shutting down FM radio, and now NATO may find itself in conflict with the civilian DAB frequencies it was granted for exercises in Norway. Nagging problems and conflicts continue to arise. Politicians and authorities were reportedly warned before they imposed DAB on the civilian population that it could cause problems in crisis situations. (Picture: Aftenposten)
12 years of trial now coming to an end
Broadcast provider Kordia must wrap up its DAB trial by June 30, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) says. MBIE oversaw the technical aspects of the trial. The government must now decide whether to green-light the technology. According to National Business Review Kordia has written to Broadcasting Minister Clare Curran asking for her to overrule MBIE and extend the trial. But as things stand, the curtain is coming down on perhaps New Zealand's longest-running technology trial. Globally, there are still only a few countries with established DAB broadcasting.
Smartphones ultimately the major media platform
In India, 337.0 million people, or more than a quarter of the population, will use a smartphone in 2018, according to eMarketer’s latest forecast.
The number of smartphone users in India will grow by close to 16% this year—the highest growth rate of any country in the world broken out by eMarketer.
