National Audit Review Might End DAB+ Venture in Sweden

A stop for basic public funding will force digital radio to be market dependent

The National Audit Office Riksrevisionen is focusing on if the taxpayers will get their money's worth if DAB+ replaces FM radio in 2022 and whether it will be efficient to construct a new radio infrastructure. According to a preliminary study, which started in April of this year, there have been indications that different alternatives were not sufficiently considered, nor were the consequences for the society and citizens.

FM Expansion On Its Way in Sweden

Will put a DAB+ introduction in doubt 

Broadcast provider Teracom has found 68 new vacant frequencies in the FM band which can open for 17 new commercial radio concessions. The telecom authority PTS is now looking into the issue and will present its analysis probably next month.

The promoters of a DAB introduction in Sweden has claimed that digital radio is necessary because 'the FM band is full' and 'we need DAB+ to make space for more radio stations'.

Licenses for Digital Commercial Radio Increase Media Ownership Concentration in Sweden

A DAB+ breakthrough is still far off in Sweden. 2015 is the decisive year.

The media authority has awarded 21 national licenses and four regional licenses for commercial radio on digital DAB+ in Sweden.

The application process has not revealed any interest from new local or national actors or from new foreign companies. There has been more space offered than present demand and all applications has been granted.
The licenses are awarded to radio actors, which are already well-established on FM. 21 of 25 licenses go to the oligopoly of national commercial radio; SBS Discovery and MTG. The four regional licenses are also awarded established local FM stations.

Mobile Broadband A Dark Cloud for DAB Radio

Digital radio delays put television pressure on VHF Band III

The UHF band 700 MHz today in use by digital terrestrial television (DTT) will gradually be taken over by mobile broadband on a global scale. Television will have to find frequencies on lower bands and is now looking into the band originally created for television VHF band III which today also hosts DAB radio.

The European Broadcasting Union says that during last year’s discussions mobile services did not show an interest for the lower band (the VHF band), as the technical characteristics of the UHF band offered them an optimum balance between coverage achieved and antenna size. However, since then with continued delays to the deployment of digital radio in Band III, the idea of using those frequencies for DTT has been gaining ground.

FM Still Major Radio Listening Platform in the UK

BBC FM Radio Content Dominate Digital Listening. DAB sales down 9% 

Over the full 12 months to June 2014, digital listening (including DAB, DTV and online) accounted for a 36.3% share of all radio listening hours in the UK. Two-thirds of digital radio listening is through a DAB set. In the 12 months to June 2014  listening to digital radio was via a DAB set 65.3%, while 16.3% of digital listening was online or via apps. Digital TV accounted for 13.8%. BBC stations accounted for over half of digital listening (55.6%); of which simulcasts of analogue BBC radio services contributed the most.

Smartphones Becoming Major Radio Listening Device

FM Radio expansion and smartphone boom go together

India with today 900 millions mobile phones is becoming major world market for smartphones. The market price for quite advanced models, some priced at around $70, are becoming affordable for most people as the devices are multifunctional tools not only for communication but also for emergency alerts, education, banking, news and entertainment replacing other stand-alone devices as radio and television receivers. 

The first Android One-branded budget-priced "high quality" smartphones have now been released in India.