Next year, the Czech Republic should see a greater expansion of digital radio networks using the DAB+ standard, says Český rozhlas. At the recent Radiokomunikace 2022 conference, Jiří Duchač, director of the Frequency Spectrum Management Department of the Czech Telecommunications Office, said that it had not set the pricing conditions and was prepared to negotiate with individual operators.
Duchač pointed out that the CTO’s responsibility was to ensure frequencies were used efficiently. “We aim to encourage competition, not have one entity buy up frequencies in the first phase of the tender so there is limited participation.”
Duchač added that the CTO initially considered a tender process first for national frequencies, then regional and finally local, but decided to open up all frequencies for tender simultaneously.
Karel Zýka, director of Czech Radio’s administration and technology department, said it was essential for developing DAB+ digital radio broadcasting in the Czech Republic that private radio stations participate.
Marcel Procházka, Czech Radio’s director of regulation, welcomed the conditions for commercial radio broadcasting on DAB+ and encouraged networks to embrace the opportunity. “We have a very limited time window to do this,” said Procházka. “If we don’t do this now, streaming will overtake us. DAB+ has one chance; we must not waste it.”
Multiplex operators also presented their views on the proposed expanded DAB+ rollout. Jakub Melín, Color DAB+ project coordinator, highlighted the need for program variety to give listeners a reason to buy receivers.