Estonia - Current situation - History
22.12.2022
The Tarbijakaitse ja Tehnilise Järelevalve Amet (TTJA) / Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority in Estonia has announced a common set of principles for testing digital radio, which will allow market players to test the new technology until the end of 2023.
"One of the TTJA's objectives for the coming year is to create the necessary technical conditions for the development of digital radio. To enable today's market players to test the new technology, as a first step, we have drawn up common principles for testing digital radio and are preparing suitable frequencies for testing in the 174-230 MHz band. During the test period, market players will be able to get hands-on experience of digital radio, if they so wish, and the government will also be able to provide feedback on what the future model could look like for the allocation of frequencies for permanent use in the radio market," said Oliver Gailan, Head of the Communications Department.
The trial period will run until the end of 2023, and more detailed principles can be found here.
In 2023, the TTJA plans to organise a public consultation of market participants to gather views on the permanent introduction of digital radio in Estonia.
Levira, in cooperation with Duo Media Networks and Mediainvest Holdings, has now started testing DAB+. The first DAB+ transmitter was launched in Tallinn TV tower on 28 November at 15.20, The signal from the Tallinn and Pehka transmitters will be broadcast on DAB+ channel 10A and the Koeru transmitter will be on 7A.
On 22 December 2022, the Koeru transmitter extended digital radio coverage to Central Estonia. A DAB+ transmitter will start operating in the Haljala municipality of Pehka in early 2023.
Currently, 10 radio stations can be listened to on DAB+, with more to follow soon. Duo Media Networks' radio stations Raadio Elmar, Raadio Kuku, Raadio MyHits, Raadio Duo, Narodnoe Radio and DFM, as well as Star FM Eesti, Klassikaraadio, Äripäev Raadio and Power Hit Radio are testing digital radio.
24.11.2022
The Tarbijakaitse ja Tehnilise Järelevalve Amet (TTJA) / Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority in Estonia has announced a common set of principles for testing digital radio, which will allow market players to test the new technology until the end of 2023.
"One of the TTJA's objectives for the coming year is to create the necessary technical conditions for the development of digital radio. To enable today's market players to test the new technology, as a first step, we have drawn up common principles for testing digital radio and are preparing suitable frequencies for testing in the 174-230 MHz band. During the test period, market players will be able to get hands-on experience of digital radio, if they so wish, and the government will also be able to provide feedback on what the future model could look like for the allocation of frequencies for permanent use in the radio market," said Oliver Gailan, Head of the Communications Department.
The trial period will run until the end of 2023, and more detailed principles can be found here.
In 2023, the TTJA plans to organise a public consultation of market participants to gather views on the permanent introduction of digital radio in Estonia.
The Estonian public broadcaster, ERR, reports that DAB+ trials will now start in December. It said:
"Digital radio is something similar to what digital television used to be, which was switched over from analogue years ago," explained Erko Kulu, head of the TTJA's Frequency Management Service.
According to Kulu, Levira, which owns the infrastructure needed to broadcast radio stations, and Duo Media, which owns the radio stations formerly owned by the Postimees Group, have shown interest in digital radio.
Levira will start preparing the trial in December and the trial period is planned to last nine months to allow for all weather conditions.
One of the special features of digital radio is that several programmes can be broadcast on a single transmitter instead of just one. That's why Levira wants to test the capabilities of digital radio with one transmitter, or 12 stations, said Kristo Kaasan, the company's technology and IT director.
"We have talked to media stations, eight programmes are definitely available. Together with TTJA, we will definitely find other content to put on top of the empty channels if other radio stations in Estonia are not interested in participating in the test," Kaasan said.
One of the national broadcaster's radio channels will also take part in the test, said Jaanus Lillenberg, ERR's Director of Information Technology and IT Services.
"As this test is quite technical, we have decided to take part in the test with perhaps our most demanding programme in terms of sound quality, Klassikaraadi. I hope this will give the testers a good idea of how the technology works and what the sound picture looks like," said Lillenberg.
01.02.2018
The Development Plan of the Estonian Public Broadcasting 2018-2021 (page 20) states that the Eesti Rahvusringhääling (ERR) will start broadcasting all radio programs in the Tallinn area on a digital (DAB+) broadcast platform.
There are currently no DAB services on air though Estonia has been carrying out experimental DAB broadcasts since 2000. There were four DAB programmes available on the multiplex of the Eesti Rahvusringhääling (ERR) the Estonian Public Broadcaster.