Radio Asia 2013: Experts meet to advance digital radio in the Asia-Pacific

Broadcasters, regulators and other media professionals gathered in Vietnam this week to progress plans for advancing digital radio in the region.

The three-day DAB+ Technology Workshop and Transmission Demonstration in Hanoi, held in conjunction with ABU’s RadioAsia 2013 conference, produced recommendations on steps needed when planning for the successful implementation of digital radio services in a number of Asia-Pacific countries.

The workshop was jointly organised by the ABU, WorldDMB, the Voice of Vietnam and Commercial Radio Australia from 26–29 July 2013.

Organisers say it attracted more than 100 delegates from Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Macau, reflecting the growing interest in digital radio in the Asia-Pacific region.

The workshop addressed DAB+ digital radio standards and transmission technologies, with demonstrations of their features and efficiency improvements compared to analogue FM broadcasting. Delegates also shared up-to-date information on experiences from Hong Kong, Australia and Europe where DAB+ is in operation.

This was followed by a transmission demonstration using a DAB+ transmitter installed at VOV facilities and field measurements were conducted in and around the city of Hanoi. 

Other industry partners included Harris Technology, ATDI and Radioscape.