Digital Radio in The United Kingdom - Digital Radio Mondiale

Digital Radio Mondiale

Digital Radio Mondiale is being considered by Ofcom for introduction in Britain in 2012, on the present AM medium wave band.

In 2005, tests of DRM on shortwave radio from European transmitters broadcasting into the United Kingdom were performed by Virgin Radio, Classic Gold, Premier Christian Radio, Virgin Radio Classic Rock, Asian Sound and CVC.

The British Broadcasting Corporation BBC started broadcasting the BBC World Service on shortwave and mediumwave radio for a few hours a day across Europe from Orford Ness in Suffolk and Kvitsøy in Norway, the latter being receivable across England, Wales and Southern Scotland.

The BBC undertook a trial of the digital radio mondiale (DRM) technology, which allowed them to explore digital radio using medium-wave frequencies. The trial broadcast BBC Radio Devon using the new technology in the Plymouth area from April 2007 and closed down on 31 October 2008. In May 2009, the BBC released a report on the trial in Devon. The report gave a number of conclusions about DRM from the trial:

• The sound quality from the trial was better than AM quality, but not as good as average DAB quality;
• The daytime coverage of the DRM trial extended further than the discontinued AM service. However, the night-time service, as expected to be smaller than daytime coverage due to the characteristics of medium wave broadcasting, did cause problems with interference to the DRM trial. The BBC stated this interference can be avoided, but only with a redesign of the transmission network;
• A single frequency network is possible and would be significantly robust.