Revisiting TechCon 2021

In the build-up to Radio TechCon 2022, the organizers are revisiting events from last year’s virtual conference, such as the South African DRM group report on the challenges of digital radio rollout in the country.

South Africa’s venture into digital radio has faltered in the face of considerable deliberation by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, the country’s official regulator of its communications, broadcasting and postal services sectors. Outside of the inevitable political wrangling, one of the biggest challenges facing ICASA has been the scope of the rollout — South Africa is five times the size of the United Kingdom.

The South African solution is a unique combination of Digital Radio Mondial and EU147 DAB digital platforms. According to ICASA, these two digital broadcast standards will provide both the long-range and local coverage that the vast country requires.

In this clip, Aldred Dreyer from the SA DRM Group and Radu Obreja from the DRM Consortium tell the story of their contribution to this massive undertaking.