National Disaster Management Authority, recommended mandating inclusion of hardware/software to integrate digital transmitters with the national CAP platform for warning messages. This feature must be leveraged in the national interest to save lives and property.
A single digital FM radio technology for the entire country is a must, the stakeholders said in unison. The Indian FM radio is a huge monolithic ecosphere. It cannot function with different technologies and fragmented markets which would create havoc if we have more than one Indian digital radio standard, says media specialist Sharad Sadhu. He opined that the single technology choice should be based on powerful indoor mobile reception and technology that should take minimum space for a given package of services in the spectrum.
The technology should be chosen in such a way that it fits into the existing FM spectrum. DRM is considered to be a more open and spectrum efficient digital radio technology compared to HD radio (used mainly in the US). DRM offers better compatibility across different frequency bands like AM and FM, while HD Radio is mainly focused on the FM band and requires a larger bandwidth to operate effectively.
Yogendra Pal, DRM Consortium, said that for a large country like India, which has to use all frequency bands like medium wave, short wave and FM bands, DRM is the only standard that works in all three bands.
Rajith Nair, Inntot Technologies, backed the DRM technology: SDR-based DRM receiver solutions have been implemented in more than 1 million car units in India, across 13 car models and 45 variants; it is easy to upgrade.
Dr. Waal Albert, RFmondial, said that DRM offers unparalleled flexibility and spectrum planning compared to HD Radio. The DRM standards can be implemented flexibly in existing FM broadcasting landscapes. There are no system-related limitations. The additional DRM data services like emergency alert and others further enhance the system, says Albert.
Some other invited stakeholders including US company Xperi supported HD radio transmission as the best technology choice.
The DAB/DAB+ system, which is established in Europe, was not on the agenda. DAB has not met the Indian cost-effectiveness requirements in all aspects and has a lower transmitter range than DRM and HD Radio.
Industry stakeholders believe that the success of digital radio depends on its mass reach and penetration, which is only possible through radio on mobile phones.
Prashant Ramdas, Entertainment Network India Limited (Mirchi) told TRAI that the success of digital radio depends on its penetration and accessibility to the larger population in India. According to him, the best way to do this is through mobile phones, as car owners have limited access to FM radio, and that too during driving hours. It is important that all mobile phones, especially smartphones, are equipped with digital reception as well as FM transmission. Only then can this be scalable and economically viable for anyone, he added.
Facts:
There are three dominant systems for terrestrial digital radio (introduced in 2005, 2003 and 1995 respectively). DRM, which was developed in Europe, has so far been used primarily globally on short and medium wave. DRM30 is now being developed primarily in Asia, with China and India at the forefront, and also on FM (DRM+). HD Radio (IBOC), which can also be used for medium wave and FM, is mainly available in the USA but to some extent also in Canada, Mexico and the Philippines. DAB, which is broadcast in its own frequency band (200 MHz), is established only in Europe with the exception of Australia. None of these systems have yet been made available on smartphones. Here, the new 5G Broadcast system for terrestrial radio and TV in the UHF band could change the picture. Read more about terrestrial digital radio.
For a couple of years, India has also broadcast its public service radio digitally with DRM over strong medium wave transmitters. - - - India has a population of 1.5 billion.
Read more
Radio industry urges TRAI to adopt DRM-only technology for digital broadcasting
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DRM Becoming the Major Digital Radio Platform in Asia
DRM Advantage for Terrestrial Digital Radio in Italy and India
