Ofcom Contributions to DCMS Digital Radio and Audio Review

The DCMS Digital Radio and Audio Review comprises three working groups (the Devices and Automotive Group, the Listener Group, and the Distribution and Coverage Group) which have been tasked with studying and reporting on specific radio sector areas, and with providing expert advice to the Review’s Steering Board.

Although not formally participating in the Radio and Audio Review, Ofcom is contributing technical advice relating to spectrum use in response to a specific request from DCMS.

This includes:

• Ofcom’s assessment of broadcast radio network coverage and identifying areas where it is possible to receive FM radio services that are not served by DAB;
• Identifying which local multiplexes are full and have no room to accommodate further radio services, and what solutions exist to address that shortage of capacity, including whether spectrum could be made available to license additional Local multiplexes;
• What alternative use(s) could be made of spectrum currently used by analogue radio broadcasting should there be a migration to all-digital broadcasting in the future.

This report forms the deliverables that Ofcom undertook to provide to the Review and is being submitted directly to the DCMS Steering Board. The report contains conclusions and sets out possible remedies, although these should be interpreted as options for consideration and not as formal recommendations for action.

Ofcom Contributions to DCMS Digital Radio and Audio Review (PDF, 2.0 MB)

Annex 2 - Deficiency Solution Option Results: Local DAB services (XLSX, 73.4 KB)

Annex 3 - Deficiency Solution Option Results: National DAB services (XLSX, 87.4 KB)