ATU tunes into DRM at African workshop

More than 110 people from all over Africa attended an Africa Telecommunications Union online workshop to promote digital sound broadcasting services, which recommends the DRM and DAB+ open standards in Africa.

The workshop, held in collaboration with the African Union of Broadcasting, the ITU, and both the DRM and WorldDAB consortiums, was attended by representatives from governments and regulators as well as public, commercial and community stations.

During 2022, ATU drafted a strategy that introduces and recommends DSB, both DRM and DAB+, as the basis for radio digitization on the continent.

DRM Consortium experts including DRM Chairman Ruxandra Obreja and Vice-chairman Alexander Zink introduced some of the benefits of DRM. Of particular interest to the African participants was how the multi-bloc transmission of up to 18 audio services and six data channels from one single transmitter can be used by several independent broadcasters to reduce costs.

South Africa DRM Group Chairman Aldred Dryer went on to explain how 100 kHz can be utilized for three DRM audio services and one data channel on one frequency, before giving a summary of the AM and FM trials conducted in his country. DRM Marketing Director Radu Obreja then presented the variety of DRM receivers and solutions which were available for acquisition or for starting joint ventures, before Matthew Phillips of CML Microcircuits/Cambridge Consultants introduced its energy-efficient module, which could provide low-cost radio for millions of African radio listeners.