In Switzerland, the future of FM radio after 2026 is politically secured. In December 2025, the parliament decided to continue to allow analogue broadcasting. Now, the media authority OFCOM, on behalf of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications, has presented the specific framework for the allocation of FM frequencies from 2027. The step back to FM represents a major setback for the lobby that wanted, as in Norway, to completely replace FM with DAB+.
After several years of political controversy, Switzerland has decided to cancel the planned closure of FM radio. Large parts of the commercial radio industry - especially local radio stations - judged DAB+ to be an insufficient alternative to reach audiences and thus profitability. - ”For economic reasons," broadcasting company SwissMediaCast (SMC) has now returned its DAB+ license in Ticino. The provider applied for the Ticino DAB+ license in 2020 at the request of radio companies in German-speaking Switzerland. They were guaranteed continuous coverage from Basel to Chiasso. The first six of a total of eight transmitters went into operation in 2020. "The Ticino mux was initially able to fill 15 of the 18 available slots," the company said.
Operational 5G Broadcast in DTT networks to cover 40 million 2028.
As announced at the the Mobile World Congress the French telecom and broadcast provider TDF launching the operational deployment of 5G BROADCAST starting in 2026: around twenty sites in France this year to cover more than 12 million inhabitants, followed by a gradual rollout until the end of 2028 with more than 320 sites across the country and more than 40 million people covered. This summer, 5G BROADCAST will also be deployed in the Rennes metro. A concrete demonstration of its ability to operate in mobile environments, including complex ones.
Launch in Barcelona signals an upcoming mass market.
At the recent Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, XGN Global (USA) and X1 Mobile (Ireland) have presented the world's first commercial smartphone capable of receiving 5G BROADCAST. The X1 Mobile 5G Broadcast Rugged Smartphone has been specifically designed for emergency services and to deliver enhanced broadcast content in demanding environments where traditional mobile networks may be congested or unavailable.
5G BROADCAST is conceived as a transformative terrestrial technology that aims to enable the direct delivery of live TV, radio and emergency information to compatible devices without requiring a mobile subscription or consuming mobile data. Its goal is to leverage existing broadcast infrastructure for efficient coverage over a larger entire area. (Read much more below)
5G BROADCAST also on the Olympic stage in Milan-Cortina but the smartphone is the crucial factor.
Following successful demonstrations during the Paris 2024 Olympics, Italian public service broadcaster Rai and the EBU conducted new pre-commercial 5G BROADCAST tests during the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. How 5G BROADCAST could leverage a robust DTT antenna infrastructure to extend live and unencrypted radio and television broadcasts to smartphones and other end devices, especially for demanding applications such as live broadcasting of major sporting events and the delivery of essential services to mobile phones in emergency situations.
A divided nation failed to create a common media platform.
After more than ten years of chronic underfunding, the public service broadcaster and EBU member BHRT - Radiotelevision of Bosnia and Herzegovina has today been forced to close its television channel BHT1 and radio channel BH Radio 1. The company's debts amount to around 40 million euro, of which onefifth is owed to the EBU. The background is a political and economic crisis. The problems include unpaid license fees, disagreements over media laws, debts to the EBU, and the regional broadcasters (RTRS and RTVF) refusing to transfer revenues.