5G Broadcast Field Trials On Air in the Netherlands

New technology breakthrough at exhibition in Amsterdam

Netherlands will join other European countries in order to get the new digital terrestrial radio and television system on air.  At IBC2025, public broadcaster NPO and broadcast provider Broadcast Partners are showcasing a live 5G Broadcast transmission, highlighting the latest developments in over-the-air media delivery and announcing a nationwide field trial in the Netherlands set to begin in Q4 this year.

5G Broadcast enables live TV, radio and media content to be transmitted over-the-air directly to smartphones without consuming mobile data and without dependencies on mobile telecom networks. The technology uses a separate frequency band to efficiently deliver one signal to all users simultaneously. As the spreading of the media works completely independent from the internet and mobile infrastructures, the technology is excellent for future emergency communications; and is already compatible with the current LTE (Further Enhanced) standard and can be integrated into future smartphones with relative ease and low cost.

Parliament wants to postpone FM radio shutdown in Switzerland

Another DAB setback. Forced shutdowns are seen as endangering private broadcasters.

The National Council - the upper house of parliament - has adopted a proposal for new FM licenses from 2027. This is intended to prevent the planned shutdown of analogue radio. The council adopted a proposal from the transport committee by 124 votes to 62, with 8 abstentions. The proposal called on the Federal Council (government) to refrain from shutting down FM broadcasts on December 31, 2026. Instead, the current FM radio licenses should be extended or new licenses should be put out to tender from January 1, 2027, if necessary through an auction.

The transport committee argued that the forced shutdown endangers private radio stations and would lead to a shift of listeners to foreign stations. The SRG (the public broadcaster) had already lost 25 percent of its listeners after the FM shutdown at the end of 2024 – such a decline would be “devastating” for advertising-funded private radio stations. (Read more below)

FM Radio Shutdown in Switzerland Likely to Be Postponed for Five Years

Dissatisfaction with public service broadcaster switch to DAB this year. The Norwegian trauma.

The Federal Council decided in 2023 to phase out FM channels by December 31, 2026. This decision is not supported by a narrow majority in the National Council's Transport and Telecommunications Committee. With the chairman's casting vote, the committee decided to submit a motion instructing the Federal Council to abandon the planned deactivation. Instead, the government must extend the current FM concessions or issue a new call for tenders for the award of FM concessions starting January 1, 2027.

Strong Support For Retaining Crucial Frequency Band for European Broadcasters

Space for 5G Broadcast as game changer for future terrestrial radio and television 

Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG) is a high-level advisory group that assists the European Commission in the development of radio spectrum policy. The RSPG workshop on the future of the 470–694 MHz band had a crucial meeting in April 2025 for the future of audiovisual services in Europe. Here the strategic value of terrestrial broadcasting and digital terrestrial television (DTT) was highlighted as an open, universal and accessible platform that ensures:

 - Free and equal access to news, cultural and entertainment content

 - Social and territorial cohesion, reaching where other platforms don’t

 - Technological sovereignty and resilience in times of crisis

 - A sustainable and energy-efficient model that supports pluralism and diversity

-  An innovative platform developing UHD, HbbTV and 5G Broadcast.

FM Radio Important Part of Emergency Preparedness During Power Outages

Linear broadcasts on terrestrial networks provide safer communication in emergencies

In an increasingly digital world where information is mostly disseminated via the internet, social networks or mobile apps, a proven technology is proving to be indispensable in times of crisis: FM radio. The recent power outages in Spain, Portugal and parts of France have impressively shown that in the event of a major power outage, only linear broadcasts continue to function reliably – a result with far-reaching implications for disaster management.

The power outage on the Iberian Peninsula confirmed that broadcast radio is “the only medium that can ensure fast and reliable communication in such a crisis”. While internet connections and mobile phone networks stopped working, terrestrial radio stations such as FM (and DAB) continued to broadcast thanks to backup power.

Digital Radio Station in Vienna Expands with FM

Availability on all listening platforms a matter of survival.

In Europe, it was claimed for a few decades that the analog radio on FM would be closed and replaced by the digital DAB system. Today, however, FM remains in all countries around the world. It has been realized that DAB - like the Internet - has become more of a digital complement to FM. Since April 22, ROCK ANTENNE Österreich has been supplementing its existing DAB+, web and app offering and now offers listeners in Vienna even better reception quality with FM on 101.6 MHz in Vienna, Donaustadt and Floridsdorf. This in order to expand the station's technical reach in the region and ensure a stable rock sound over analog frequencies, writes Radiowoche.deFM

New Government Will Support Terrestrial Broadcasting in Germany

A levy for online platsforms that use media content is considered.

With its coalition agreement the two parties - CDU/CSU and SDP - commit to strengthen media diversity and ensuring freedom of expression. Support for public and private broadcasting is expressed as well as support for continued terrestrial broadcasting in the UHF band (470–694 MHz).

Independent and diverse media ensure free public debate. Within the dual media system, we advocate for both pluralistic public broadcasting and fair regulatory and funding conditions for private media.   (text continued below)

FM Radio Switch-Off Delayed for Another Decade In Belgium

DAB might be phased out before FM

The Flemish government has dropped its proposed 2031 target for ending FM radio broadcasts, opting instead for a gradual transition to digital radio with no cut-off date set before 2035. The decision follows concerns about potential economic impacts and the risk of excluding older audiences from radio services. Flemish media minister Cieltje Van Achter said the move reflects a more cautious approach to the transition. “We will take all radio listeners with us to the finish".

5G Broadcast On Verge Becoming US Standard

US veteran broadcaster would rather choose 5G Broadcast than ATSC 3.  A jackpot.

A veteran broadcast TV executive, says he keep reading that linear broadcasting is in an inevitable decline, but it doesn’t have to be. The jackpot market that can save the industry is the ability to broadcast and datacast directly to wireless mobile devices including 300 million-plus smartphones and over 200 million tablets in the U.S. But we have to be smart about the technology choice we make to get us there, continues Preston Paddenis. 

Read more below why he believes 5G Broadcast is the best choice also in the US. Also read an item about a US Broadcaster petitions FCC to commercialize 5G Broadcast.

Smartphones Fuel A Revolution For Terrestrial Linear Radio and TV

(Photo: teltarfi.de)

European broadcasters push for 5G Broadcast rollout by 2027.

A win-win opportunity for broadcasters and mobile telecom stakeholders.

For eight years, 5G Broadcast has been developed, tested and is now ready for use in many countries. It is mainly about television broadcasts, but the new platform on the UHF band also has capacity for a large number of radio channels. 

The 5G Broadcast Strategic Task Force (5BSTF) is now working on a launch of commercial 5G Broadcast services in six European markets by 2027. As traditional terrestrial analogue and digital terrestrial (DTT) networks face shutdowns, this next-generation technology is considered to offer a viable alternative, improving the delivery of live and linear audiovisual content. - More facts and analysis follow below.

Swiss FM Switch-off: Public Broadcaster Lost Two-Thirds of Its Listeners

Sudden lack of FM radio in tunnels creates security havoc.

In the end of February 2025 the newspaper 20 minutes conducted a survey on the FM switch-off in Switzerland's three language regions. (After the extremely negative results, the charts disappeared). In Italian-speaking Switzerland, listeners dropped by 62%, and public broadcaster SRG minimized its participation.

Of the 27% with daily listening on radio 13% tune in on DAB and 36% on FM.  8% have given up over the air radio listening all together. There are still lots of cross-border FM broadcast from France, Italy, Germany and Austria reaching most Swiss homes and cars. -  62% are not listening to the Swiss public service channels any longer. In the survey  51% thought that the FM switch-off is a scandal.  Next year, Switzerland will vote on the 200 Fr initiative (media tax), and the people will express their opinion, which has not been taken into account so far.

Italy Will Retain FM Radio For At Least Another 10 Years

Broadcast stakeholders want to maintain coextstence between FM and DAB.

The regulator AGCOM of February 18, 2025 presented the results of a survey on the development of DAB+ in Italy launched on September 11, 2024. Stakeholders unanimously agree on the need to maintain the coexistence between FM, DAB+ and other radio service distribution platforms, such as IP-based, for at least the next decade. The transition from FM to DAB+ should be gradual and subject to the full development of DAB+, including the availability of adequate spectrum resources to ensure programming, coverage and capillarity equivalent to those currently offered by FM, in order to reach all users.

DAB Not Saving Radio. Norwegians Reducing Their Listening to Linear Radio

Local radio listeners increasingly abandoning DAB and returning to FM.

FM seems to be experiencing a renaissance in Norway. Fewer and fewer people are now using DAB to listen to local radio, while more are listening to FM radio, according to recent figures compiled by Kantar Media for the Norwegian Local Radio Association. Kantar asks not only which channel is listened to, but also which platform they use to listen to local radio. The figures do not apply to national channels that only broadcast digitally. - In the fourth quarter of 2024, 53.0% of those surveyed said that they use FM to listen to local radio on a daily basis, while 45.5% said that they listen to local radio on DAB. In the second quarter of 2024, 51.5% listened to local radio on FM and 47.7% on DAB. So it is no longer just a coincidence, it may seem that the trend has actually reversed.

Catastrophic Start for Transition to DAB in Switzerland

Public broadcaster exclusive FM switch-offl advantage for commercial radio

After FM is switched off, public broadcaster lose half a million listeners

The switch-off led to an almost one quarter drop in listener numbers. Commercial  stations are recording growth as they continue to broadcast via FM. Compared to the second half of 2024, the three major German-language radio stations of the SRG - SRF 1, SRF 2 and SRF 3 - lost an average of almost half a million listeners per day in the first two weeks of January 2025.  Overall, the net daily reach of these three stations fell by 490.700 people, which represents a decline of 23.5 percent.The loss of listeners coincides exactly with the shutdown of the SRF FM transmitters. The SRG stopped broadcasting its radio programs on FM at the end of 2024.

Dramatic Decline in Listening to Linear Radio in Sweden

Can national commercial radio survive in the new media landscape? 

Linear radio (FM and DAB) continues to decline and has a reach of 5,176,000 listeners per day in 2024, in the target group 12–79 years old, according to Kantar Sifo. Ten years ago, radio had 5,275,000 daily listeners with a reach of 68 percent. Since then, Sweden's population has increased by 7.5 percent.

The two oligopolies for commercial radio has declined the most and the 10 year downward trend continues. A decisive factor is competition from public broadcaster Sveriges Radio, which now has a market share of 78.8% compared to commercial radio's 21.2%. The increasing listening to streaming audio media such as Spotify and podcasts is also important. Read more about this and our analysis:

Radio Industry Urges Indian Government to Opt for DRM For Digital Radio

The world's most populous country first with digital radio on both FM and medium wave.

During an open house discussion, radio broadcast operators urged the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to adopt a single open standard for digital terrestrial radio broadcasting, considering its cost-effectiveness. Industry stakeholders further noted that a technology like DRM will foster innovation and competition. Uday Chawla, general secretary, Association of Radio Operators for India, highlighting how profitability is the real challenge for radio broadcasters, urged technology providers to be proactive in creating the digital ecosystem, have an alliance with mobile and automobile manufacturers and bring down the cost of digital radio adoption.