France - Current situation - History

19.08.2010

The launch of DMB digital radio services in France is expected in December 2010.

Over the years, France has experimented with all formats in the Eureka 147 family of standards, DAB, DAB+ and DMB, comparing one to the other.  In Paris, Marseille and other major towns, some of these trial multiplexes remain on air.

At the end of 2007, France's regulator, the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA) announced that the official standard for digital radio in France would be DMB-A, to be marketed as Radio Numérique Terrestre.   (It is worth noting that DMB-A differs from the DMB in use in Korea because the audio codecs are different.)

Some broadcasters in France advocate the use of DAB+ alongside DMB, but it is clear that, in general, French broadasters support the swift deployment of digital radio across the country.

In March 2008, the CSA published a call for tenders for terrestrial digital radio licences.  It received an enthusiastic response with approximately 300 plus applications and in 2009 the licences were allocated in three main towns: Paris, Marseille-Aix and Nice-Cannes.

In January 2009 a law was passed which sets out a three step programme of integration of digital radio into all receivers including those in cars. It states that on the 1st September 2013 all radio receivers must be digital enabled, including those in cars.

06.04.2010

The French government announced that the Eureka 147 family of standards, DMB Radio, is the digital radio standard which will be used in France. In March 2008, the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA) published the first call for tenders for terrestrial digital radio which will be rolled out in Band III. The CSA received an enthusiastic response for their call for licenses, with approximately 300 plus applications and in 2009 the licenses were allocated in three main towns: Paris, Marseille-Aix and Nice-Cannes), on a beauty contest basis, to offer the French consumer a harmonious balance between the existing radio stations and the widest range of new digital radio services.

In 2009 and beginning 2010, two public consultations and several workshops were held gathering together all of the players from the radio industry. In January 2009 a law was passed which sets out a three step programme of integration of digital radio into all receivers including those in cars. It states that on the 1st September 2013 all radio receivers must be digital enabled, including those in cars. It is hoped a digital radio roll out plan for 2010 will be launched in the next couple of weeks in France.

03.09.2008

After the French government announced that the Eureka 147 family of standards, DMB Audio, was chosen for its digital radio standard, the French Minister for Culture and Communication signed the decrees that officially launched digital radio in France.  In March 2008 the “Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel” (CSA) determined the network parameters and called for tenders for DMB licences.  Licenses are yet to be awarded, but roll out is planned for Christmas 2008 with an initial objective of 50% population coverage.