Australia - Current situation - History

01.07.2008

The Australian Government passed legislation on 10th May 2007 to enable the launch of digital radio in Australia. The legislation enables incumbent commercial, national and wide-coverage community radio broadcasters to provide digital radio services on DAB+.  However there is a "use it or lose it" start up deadline which requires broadcasters to launch at some point between January and July 2009.

The Australian radio industry plans to implement digital radio using the DAB+ standard. This may be supplemented by the use of DRM in rural and regional areas in the future and the Australian radio industry has pledged to invest up to $400 million over the coming years to roll out digital radio across the country.

Key tenders for the infrastructure build (site access, transmitters, multiplexers, system integration, project management) were awarded in mid-2008.  And in recent months PURE Digital has established Australasian operations and announced three DAB+ upgradeable receivers.

01.02.2008

The Australian Government passed legislation on 10th May 2007 to enable the launch of digital radio in Australia. The legislation enables incumbent commercial, national and wide-coverage community radio broadcasters to provide digital radio services in the six state capital cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Hobart starting on 1st January 2009.

The Australian radio industry plans to implement digital radio using the DAB+ standard. This may be supplemented by the use of DRM in rural and regional areas in the future and the Australian radio industry has pledged to invest up to $400 million over the coming years to roll out digital radio across the country.

In recent months PURE Digital has established Australasian operations and announced three DAB+ upgradeable receivers. In December 2007 the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) called for expression of interest in digital multiplex licenses.

01.09.2007

The Australian Government passed legislation on 10th May 2007 to enable the launch of digital radio in Australia. The legislation enables incumbent commercial, national and wide-coverage community radio broadcasters to provide digital radio services in the six state capital cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Hobart starting on 1st January 2009.

The Australian radio industry plans to implement digital radio using the DAB+ standard. This may be supplemented by the use of DRM in rural and regional areas in the future and the Australian radio industry has pledged to invest up to $400 million over the coming years to roll out digital radio across the country. Broadcasters are encouraging manufacturers, retailers and car manufacturers to have a broad range of DAB+ receivers with screens available for sale by Christmas 2008.

There have, in the past, been DMB trials in Australia but at the present time there is no clear view on where the mobile TV market will go.