Apply for a small-scale radio multiplex or digital sound programme service licence
Apply for a small-scale radio multiplex licence
This section contains the licence advertisements, application forms, guidance notes and technical data that you will need if you wish to apply for small-scale DAB multiplex licences currently being advertised by Ofcom.
Advertisement of licences for small-scale radio multiplex services: round four (PDF, 6.3 MB)
Small-scale radio multiplex licence application form – Part A (public) (ODT, 64.8 KB)
Small-scale radio multiplex licence application form – Part B (confidential) (ODT, 51.4 KB)
Hysbyseb trwyddedau ar gyfer gwasanaethau amlblecs radio ar raddfa fach: rownd pedwar (PDF, 1.1 MB)
Ffurflen gais trwydded amlbleth radio ar raddfa fach – Rhan A (ODT, 56.3 KB)
Ffurflen gais trwydded amlbleth radio ar raddfa fach – Rhan B (ODT, 40.2 KB)
Supporting technical data and links for round four locations (XLSX, 33.8 KB)
This section contains information, data and guidance that you will need to help you in applying for a small-scale DAB multiplex licence. If you require any of the information in an alternative formats, please email smallscaledab@ofcom.org.uk.
Small-scale radio multiplex licence: guidance notes for applicants and licensees (PDF, 1.2 MB)
Small-scale DAB final transmitter plan site details form (ODT, 30.0 KB)
Small-scale radio multiplex sample licence (PDF, 503.9 KB)
Small-scale DAB polygon (nominal licence area) shape files: MapInfo Interchange Format GIS files
- East of England (ZIP, 11.6 KB)
- Midlands (ZIP, 18.1 KB)
- North of England (ZIP, 7.5 KB)
- Northern Ireland (ZIP, 6.1 KB)
- North West of England (macro area); North East Wales (ZIP, 12.9 KB)
- Scotland (ZIP, 18.1 KB)
- South East of England (including South East macro area) (ZIP, 25.7 KB)
- South West of England (ZIP, 21.6 KB)
- Wales and Severn Estuary (ZIP, 9.3 KB)
- Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire (ZIP, 11.2 KB)
Small-scale DAB polygon (nominal licence area) shape files: Google Earth (KML) file (KML, 600.5 KB)
Small-scale DAB polygon (nominal licence area) population data: MapInfo Interchange Format GIS files
- East of England (ZIP, 238.0 KB)
- Midlands (ZIP, 549.3 KB)
- North of England (ZIP, 232.6 KB)
- Northern Ireland (ZIP, 97.6 KB)
- North West of England (macro area); North East Wales (ZIP, 549.7 KB)
- Scotland (ZIP, 697.7 KB)
- South East of England (including South East macro area) (ZIP, 1.3 MB)
- South West of England (ZIP, 358.7 KB)
- Wales and Severn Estuary (ZIP, 188.0 KB)
- Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire (ZIP, 337.2 KB)
Small-scale DAB polygon (nominal licence area) raster maps – by region
- East of England (ZIP, 13.0 MB)
- Midlands (ZIP, 20.7 MB)
- North of England (ZIP, 6.9 MB)
- Northern Ireland (ZIP, 5.0 MB)
- North West of England (macro area); North East Wales (ZIP, 16.3 MB)
- Scotland (ZIP, 13.5 MB)
- South East of England (including South East macro area) (ZIP, 30.8 MB)
- South West of England (ZIP, 19.2 MB)
- Wales and Severn Estuary (ZIP, 7.8 MB)
- Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire (ZIP, 13.3 MB)
Table of transmission characteristics template, including sample data (XLSX, 18.2 KB)
Local DAB multiplex licence area shape files – MapInfo Interchange Format GIS files (ZIP, 5.6 MB)
Local DAB multiplex licence population data – MapInfo Interchange Format GIS files (ZIP, 4.7 MB)
UK population file (adults aged 15+) (ZIP, 3.9 MB)
Local DAB multiplex coverage maps
Technical parameters for local and national DAB and analogue radio services
The following 32 licence areas, together known as the South East of England ‘macro area’, will constitute the fifth round of small-scale radio multiplex licensing, which we currently plan to advertise in 2023:
- Alton, Petersfield & Haslemere
- Ashford & Dungeness
- Biggleswade & North Hertford
- Brighton
- Canterbury
- Central Suffolk
- Chelmsford
- Colchester & Clacton
- Eastbourne, Newhaven & Lewes
- Great Yarmouth & Lowestoft
- Guildford & Woking
- Harlow
- Hastings
- Haverhill
- Haywards Heath & Uckfield
- Ipswich & Felixstowe
- Luton
- Maidstone, Tonbridge & Tunbridge
- Margate, Dover & Folkestone
- North East London & South West Essex
- North London
- North Sussex & Reigate
- Portsmouth
- Reading
- South East London & North East Kent
- Sittingbourne & the Medway Towns
- South Buckinghamshire
- South Hertfordshire
- South London
- South West Sussex
- Southend
- West London
South East England will be the second ‘macro area’ to be advertised by Ofcom in our programme of small-scale multiplex licensing. ‘Macro areas’ are regions of the UK where there will be insufficient spectrum available to enable us to make licence awards to all of the identified licence areas (as listed above). Spectrum availability will be especially limited in coastal areas.
Ofcom had previously indicated that the earliest it would be likely to be able to advertise multiplex licences for areas in London and the South East of England ‘macro area’ would be in the fourth round of small-scale DAB licensing. This is because awarding licences in that region is contingent on international agreements regarding spectrum coordination in that part of the UK.
Unfortunately, the rate of progress towards agreement means it is now likely the advertisement of licences in the south east of England macro area will need to be later than the fourth round. The pressure on available spectrum in that part of the UK means we will also need to expand the size of the South East England ‘macro area’ to include some additional locations which were previously outside it.
The map below shows the revised macro area plan. The proposed ‘polygon’ licence areas in blue are the areas originally planned to comprise the South East of England macro area, as set out in our April 2020 statement on small-scale DAB licensing (PDF, 6.0 MB), while the licence areas in red denote the areas that will now be added to the enlarged macro area. These are: Ashford & Dungeness; Alton, Petersfield, Haslemere & Bordon; Brighton; Eastbourne, Newhaven & Lewes; Great Yarmouth & Lowestoft; Haywards Heath, Heathfield & Uckfield; Hastings; Margate, Dover & Folkestone; Portsmouth; and South West Sussex.
Apply for a digital sound programme service licence for small-scale DAB
This section contains the licence application forms that you will need to complete, and the accompanying guidance notes you will need to read, if you wish to apply to broadcast a programme service on a small-scale DAB multiplex.
C-DSP licences have been designed for community radio services only; other programme services wishing to broadcast on a small-scale DAB multiplex should apply for a DSP licence instead.
Note that applicants can only apply to broadcast on a small-scale DAB multiplex which is already broadcasting, or for which a licence has been advertised by Ofcom (see multiplex licence advertisements above).
Apply for a C-DSP licence
Community Digital Sound Programme (C-DSP) licence application form – Part A (public) (ODT, 65.2 KB)
Trwydded rhaglenni sain digidol cymunedol ffurflen gais – Rhan A (ODT, 47.7 KB)
Trwydded rhaglenni sain digidol cymunedol ffurflen gais – Rhan B (ODT, 1.1 MB)
Apply for a DSP licence
Digital Sound Programme Service Licence: application form (DOC, 94.5 KB)