ETSI Publishes Two DRM Specifications

The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has published two new specifications for the Digital Radio Mondiale digital radio standard.

The organization announced ETSI TS 101 968 — DRM data applications directory. According to ETSI, this backward-compatible specification update aims to simplify the DRM core and regards enhancements to the table of Fast Access Channel (FAC) application identifiers. The update now covers SlideShow functionalities as well as the indicator that allows lower-power monitoring for emergency warning receiver wake up.

The institute also published ETSI TS 103 771 — DRM regional text profiles. This new specification for regional text profiles includes those for India, where the DRM rollout has advanced greatly. ETSI says this new framework backs DRM rollout worldwide by ensuring proper receiver support for local Unicode scripts in various countries.

ETSI describes this as a “companion specification,” and says it’ll become fully effective once the main DRM system specification, ES 201 980 is published. It says ETSI ES 201 980 updates will comprise improved text handling, coding and modulation restoration, as well as low-power emergency warning monitoring.

The organization expects the approval and publication of ETSI ES 201 980 in early 2021.