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11 About DAB
What is Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB)?
DAB digital radio is a new way of broadcasting radio via a
network of terrestrial transmitters. It provides listeners with
more choice and information delivered in crystal clear, crackle-
free sound quality.
– The technology allows the receiver to lock on to the strongest
signal it can find.
– With DAB digital stations there are no frequencies to
remember, and sets are tuned by station name, so there is no
returning on the move.
What is DAB+?
DAB+ is based on the original DAB standard but uses a more
efficient audio codec. Whereas DAB uses MPEG Audio Layer II
(better known as MP2), DAB+ uses HE-AAC v2 (better known
as MP4 or AAC+). This allows equivalent or better subjective
audio quality to be broadcast at lower bit rates. The increased
efficiency offers benefits for Governments and Regulators (even
better spectrum efficiency), broadcasters (lower costs per
station) and consumers (a wider choice of stations).
DAB+ is designed to provide the same functionality as the
original DAB radio services including services following (e.g.
to the same service on another DAB ensemble or its FM
simulcast), traffic announcements and PAD multimedia data (e.g.
dynamic labels such as title artist information or news headlines;
complementary graphics and images etc.)
What is a multiplex?
Digital radio operation is made up of a single block of
frequencies called a multiplex. Each multiplex works within a
frequency spectrum, such as Band III for DAB broadcasts.
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