The RDI (The Dutch Authority for Digital Infrastructure) recently issued licenses for 275 local public and commercial radio stations to broadcast on one of the country’s 56 available local DAB+ networks from Sept. 1, 2024. More licenses for interested radio stations to broadcast on one of these local networks are expected in the future.
The Netherlands is divided into 57 geographical areas, which the RDI refers to as allotments and allocates frequency space. There are 18 licenses available per allotment for broadcasting their signal.
Most of the announced licenses are allocated to local public broadcasters. The 56 DAB+ networks allocated to these broadcasters will be launched on air later in 2024 or next year. Some local networks are already on air as part of a small-scale DAB+ pilot. However, for the remaining more than 40 new networks, transmission equipment providers must either find new installation points or modify existing sites.
The stations have until Sept. 1 next year to start broadcasting on their allocated DAB+ network
A significant number of licenses initially go to local public radio stations because the government guarantees their funding. Local commercial broadcasters are asking for more clarity about the costs, which depend on the total number of participating parties.
Need for collaboration
The available permits for commercial broadcasters varied per allotment and depended on how many had already been allocated to local public broadcasters; some allotments had more than 10 licenses available. The remaining capacity was distributed to commercial broadcasters, and because the number of licenses/permits applied for did not exceed the number available, there was no need for an auction. One network received no applications, meaning the total number of local networks to be rolled out is 56.
Radio stations must partner with all licensed parties of the relevant allocation to air a network. The stations have until Sept. 1 next year to start broadcasting on their allocated DAB+ network. All permits are valid until September 1, 2030.
Although local radio on DAB+ was already available on air in parts of the Netherlands via temporary permits, as of September, it will now become more available throughout the country. How quickly the new local networks roll out now depends on technical installation.
The author was the broadcast and facilities manager at several public and commercial media companies and is now a freelance writer and media consultant in the Netherlands.
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