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How does DAB+ work?
Translations are provided as a service to Arcom users and are supplied “as is”, throught the DeepL tool. Consequently, only the text of the original version is authentic.
What is "DAB+"? How does it work? How can I listen to digital radio? All the explanations from the French regulatory authority for audiovisual and digital communication, Arcom.
Digital terrestrial radio or "DAB+" is gradually being rolled out across France. Every year, new transmitters are put into service to ensure ever-finer coverage of the country.
Read the Arcom press release: "On the road to tomorrow's radio!
What is digital terrestrial radio or "DAB+"?
"DAB" stands for Digital Audio Broadcasting. The "+" corresponds to a development in the worldwide diffusion norms for digital terrestrial radio (DTR).
DAB+ is a digital modulation and transmission technology for radio. Like digital terrestrial television (DTT) and FM, it uses the terrestrial hertzian diffusion network. Grouped together in multiplexes or ensembles, several digital terrestrial radios (around thirteen radio services) can transmit on the same frequency.
Unlike DTT for television, DAB+ has the advantage of being able to cohabit with radio's "traditional" broadcasting method, the FM band. This means that digital terrestrial radio can work in tandem with FM diffusion, just as DTT quickly replaced analog television diffusion in France.
Deployed in many European countries, it is enjoying great success, particularly in the UK, Scandinavia (Norway) and Switzerland.
As with FM, DAB+ radio reception is completely free of charge.
Do I need equipment to receive DAB+ radio?
Like DTT, your reception equipment must be compatible. While DAB+-compatible radios can receive FM signals, the reverse is not always true.
To receive digital radio, you'll need the right equipment. There are a wide range of DAB+ receivers available at very different costs, starting from a few dozen euros. Since the end of 2019, all radio receivers sold in France, with the exception of car radios, have had to integrate DAB+. As of mid-2020, all car radios in new cars sold in France have also integrated DAB+. The European Electronic Communications Code, which must be transposed into French law by the end of 2020, has also made provision for DAB+ integration in radio receivers.
What are the advantages of DAB+?
For listeners:
- Better sound quality
- Greater continuity of listeners on the move
- The arrival of new stations
- Enrichment of the audio stream with associated digital data (information of all kinds, song titles, logos and images such as record sleeves, etc.).
For radio stations :
- Pooling of broadcasting costs by grouping stations on the same frequency within a multiplex.
- Extended coverage in a context of FM band saturation
- Assurance of survival in the future digital ecosystem, in synergy with 5G mobile networks.
How do I find the frequency of my digital or DAB+ radio?
For information on digital terrestrial radio in France, browse the interactive"Ma radio DAB +" program map.
Once you've entered your desired location (département, then town), you'll find out which digital radios are currently available, as well as information on upcoming rollouts.