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WorldDAB has released its latest figures on sales and DAB coverage for key markets in Europe and Asia Pacific for the end of Q2 2016. The statistics include road and overall population coverage, receiver sales, household penetration and, for the first time, the number of national stations on DAB/DAB+ as compared to FM.

The Netherlands has already sold 439,000 DAB+ radios this year, according to figures from WorldDAB. The number of cars with DAB+ radio on board has increased dramatically. In 2015 there were 77 144 units sold. In comparison to the year before where only 22,800 were sold. The Netherlands can be seen to have the fastest growth of DAB+ across the world.

WorldDAB's IBC session “Looking to radio’s digital future — digital switchover progress and plans” offered testimonials from various countries transitioning to DAB digital radio about the current market situation and progress. Patrick Hannon, President of WorldDAB, introduced the discussion showing highlights from the recently published WorldDAB second quarter 2016 report.

WorldDAB publishes its latest market figures, revealing that 50 million receivers have been sold in the major markets across the world. Other statistics include coverage mobility (main road network) and the overall population coverage, sales of receivers, the penetration rate in homes and, for the first time, the number of national stations available on DAB/DAB + made in relation to those available on the FM band.

Standard kit includes sports seats, a Quickclear heated windscreen, air-con and a DAB radio with a 4.2in screen.

Digital radio broadcasting does not consume mobile data and uses as little as one tenth of the battery consumed by streaming; therefore, the introduction of digital radio receivers in all mobile devices would mitigate those negative effects, commonly experienced by mobile users. A consortium of broadcasting companies and organizations has joined forces to develop an open and universal interface to ease the implementation of digital radio on smartphones.

A consortium of broadcasting companies and organizations has joined forces to develop an open and universal interface to ease the implementation of digital radio on smartphones. The Open Mobile Radio Interface (OMRI) was announced during IBC and comes only months after the world's first DAB+ enabled smartphone, LG Stylus 2 DAB+, hit the shelves in Australia and Europe.

Commercial Radio Australia chief executive officer Joan Warner says campaign likens the switch to DAB to the transition of TV from analogue to digital, and focuses on the benefits of upgrading, including better sound quality and up to 30 extra stations.

The pop-up digital station run by Jazz FM and the BBC is returning for 2016, for five days from November 10th. Live concerts will air from EFG London Jazz Festival in partnership with BBC Radio 3 along with Jazz FM’s archive recordings, and specially commissioned new content for the first time this year.

Speaking at WorldDAB’s Industry Insight Session at the IBC in Amsterdam, the EBU’s Head of Radio Graham Dixon said: “The continuing importance of live radio, combined with the increasing popularity of radio on the move, with young people in particular consuming radio on their phones, means we need to establish reliable delivery platforms to take radio into the future.”