October 3, 2016

Small-scale DAB is, Ofcom says, “an innovative technology designed to allow local stations to achieve transmission on digital radio”.

Ofcom has been testing small-scale DAB since June 2015, with 70 local stations broadcasting on trial licences around the UK.

The technique allows local and community stations to hit the airwaves using freely available software and equipment costing from £9,000.

Ofcom has also identified space in the airwaves that could support a UK-wide roll out of the technology, using spectrum bands previously occupied by business radio.  Re-using these bands could pave the way for hundreds more stations to join digital radio across the UK, Ofcom says.

The Government will consider the findings of the report, and Ofcom says that it is “ready to work with it on any necessary steps to enable small-scale DAB stations to be licensed permanently”.  For further information and for a link to the report, click here.