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More than a year ago, the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) standard for AM broadcasting began its journey toward integration into the Chinese automotive sector. In September 2023, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) and the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) issued a directive encouraging the automotive industry to implement digital wireless reception modules. This was China’s first official government document to explicitly call on broadcasters to provide DRM services in the AM band and for automakers to equip vehicles with digital radio reception modules.
The momentum continued in May 2024, when MIIT, NRTA and SAMR hosted a meeting in Beijing attended by representatives from 31 Chinese car manufacturers, including producers of new-energy vehicles. The meeting emphasized the need to make in-vehicle wireless reception modules an essential feature in all cars.
By September 2024, the same ministries sought public input on revising and developing a mandatory national standard for “In-Vehicle Wireless Reception Systems.” Positive feedback, including support from the 31 automotive brands, led to establishing a new standard, which is expected to be finalized by September 2025.
Yunnan province, located in southwest China and known for its diverse landscape and home to major cities like Kunming and Dali, has taken significant steps to deploy a DRM network. The region bordering India is testing DRM single-frequency network (SFN) and alternative frequency switching (AFS) functionality. The next phase will involve setting up a road test environment to meet all DRM in-vehicle wireless reception requirements.
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