DRM Says It’s the Best Choice for Digital Radio in India
/India’s broadcast regulatory body recommended the adoption of a single national standard for digital radio in the VHF Band II (the so-called FM band 88–108 MHz). Now, in a new press release, Digital Radio Mondiale says it is the only technology fit for the job.
“With strong industry readiness and proven public-service integration, DRM is the only technology that satisfies both the letter and the spirit of the regulator’s roadmap,” said DRM in the release.
DRM can deliver a unified digital radio ecosystem that supports every broadcaster category [and] can enable true simulcasting, expanding free public access to information, education and emergency warnings through an open technology. DRM can ensure spectrum and energy efficiency, affordability and long-term sustainability across the country.”
In October, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released recommendations to allow analogue FM band stations to add digital services, as reported by the Economic Times. At the time, TRAI recommended that India adopt a single digital radio technology standard for the FM band, but it did not specify which one.
Over several years, advocates for both Digital Radio Mondiale and HD Radio have made pitches for their respective technologies to be selected. In this case, the DRM Consortium says that adopting DRM as India’s single, digital radio standard will ensure a “unified, secure and future-proof national broadcasting ecosystem.”
