DAB+ coverage in Paris has received a literal and figurative boost with the installation of a 6-meter-tall DAB+ radio antenna on top of the city’s iconic Eiffel Tower. The high-profile installation by helicopter drew widespread media attention. Once the helicopter lowered the antenna into position, technicians secured it in place within 10 minutes.
The tower’s looming presence over Paris has made it not only a tourist highlight but a broadcaster’s friend. Radio stations have used the tower for transmissions since the start of the 20th century. In fact, an underground radio center — built in 1909 — still sits below the south pillar.
In 1913 the tower proudly reached out to the United States when it exchanged wireless signals with the U.S. Naval Observatory in Arlington, Virginia.
The DAB+ antenna installation will not be the first time the media have boosted the tower’s height. A television antenna fitted in 1957 raised its height by a further 18.7 meters, and in 2000 TV technicians added a further 5.3 meters, topping the tower at 324 meters.
The latest transmission addition not only takes the height of the Eiffel Tower to now 330 meters but is also a significant display of confidence in DAB+ technology.
