I feel DAB missed its momentum, it’s already made obsolete by streaming and internet radio while FM still has a huge base. At this point, it makes more sense to keep FM around a bit longer and just not bother with DAB rollout.
I’ve never even heard of DAB until I moved to Sweden and bought a car there just a few years ago. I didn’t even know it existed, so I was a bit confused about what this DAB thing is. In my home country in the south of Europe I only ever saw FM and AM in cars. I’ve never seen any AM radio stations during my lifetime tho, all were always on FM.
It had advantages over FM and AM, but nothing that really made it indispensable for the consumer. The disadvantages were significant: signal delay due to the broadcast frequencies – all transmitters had to by synchronised which introduced delays into the broadcasts, power consumption of the receivers (especially personal portable receivers), and then finally the costs of the transmitters and receivers.
There are many other competing standards; but in the end much of it comes down to that audio/streaming services can be provided by, well, pretty much any mobile technology from 3G upwards. Not forgetting of course, that FM receivers are ubiquitous and very, very cheap.
TBH, I only ever saw a DAB receiver in a hire car in the UK.
In Finland, there are no DAB transmissions – there were transmissions but these ceased at the end of August 2005.
Plus that in large parts of Europe, given that highways cross rural areas, connection is a rarity.
Anyone that has ever driven over the Autobahn having a phonecall or listening to Spotify knows that Germany is still living in the Middle Ages when it comes to anything with any form of connection.
Sweden stopped building DAB transmitters 10 years ago and shut down the majority already in operation, citing the technology had become obsolete with the spread of smartphones and streaming, not offering much advantage to the existing FM-network and making e-waste of millions of radios.
DAB is widespread in the UK, and I would use it fairly often in the car. But I think FM is still better and more important to keep rather than ditching it for DAB only, especially for emergency situations.
We have a local DAB multiplex where I live and it only works for about a mile then cuts out. Meanwhile I could be 20mins outside Dublin and still pick up BBC radio FM overspill from Northern Ireland. FM seems a lot more robust to me and the receivers are much more simple and less power hungry.
Norway got rid of all FM transmitters in December 2017. So now only DAB+ works in Norway. The authorities advice everyone in Norway to have a DAB+ radio at home that is powered by batteries in case the electricity goes out.
I feel like it is worth keeping the basic AM/FM as it needs such little technology. It must be very cheap to keep going. All the digital radios I have had are rather hungry on the tech, need screens. A radio can be handheld and takes a single battery.
Comments
Radios are not an essential feature for cars, and FM is still more robust against interference, with a huge installed base both in cars and homes.
I feel DAB missed its momentum, it’s already made obsolete by streaming and internet radio while FM still has a huge base. At this point, it makes more sense to keep FM around a bit longer and just not bother with DAB rollout.
DAB+ has been required in newly built cars since December 2020: https://www.eenewseurope.com/en/dab-radio-has-established-as-standard-in-new-european-cars/
FM is far from obsolete. It’s still the default in most EU countries and some countries (e.g. Portugal) have no DAB stations at all.
I’ve never even heard of DAB until I moved to Sweden and bought a car there just a few years ago. I didn’t even know it existed, so I was a bit confused about what this DAB thing is. In my home country in the south of Europe I only ever saw FM and AM in cars. I’ve never seen any AM radio stations during my lifetime tho, all were always on FM.
[deleted]
Why should it be mandatory?
It had advantages over FM and AM, but nothing that really made it indispensable for the consumer. The disadvantages were significant: signal delay due to the broadcast frequencies – all transmitters had to by synchronised which introduced delays into the broadcasts, power consumption of the receivers (especially personal portable receivers), and then finally the costs of the transmitters and receivers.
There are many other competing standards; but in the end much of it comes down to that audio/streaming services can be provided by, well, pretty much any mobile technology from 3G upwards. Not forgetting of course, that FM receivers are ubiquitous and very, very cheap.
TBH, I only ever saw a DAB receiver in a hire car in the UK.
In Finland, there are no DAB transmissions – there were transmissions but these ceased at the end of August 2005.
DAB is just a wee bit shit in the UK. I don’t know why but I have one at home and it couldn’t pick up signal.
Who listens to a radio station anyways in 2025?
Plus that in large parts of Europe, given that highways cross rural areas, connection is a rarity.
Anyone that has ever driven over the Autobahn having a phonecall or listening to Spotify knows that Germany is still living in the Middle Ages when it comes to anything with any form of connection.
FM is amazing. Requires low power, very robust against interference and almost everyone has a receiver in their possession.
In an emergency DAB is not going to cut it. FM (and SSB) would most likely be the two modes of communication used to coordinate/communicate.
FM have just been made MANDATORY in Denmark with the government’s crisis prepper-supplies, as it includes a solar/crank FM radio.
Here in the UK we were “sold” the dab dream, 100s of new channels in beautiful quality digital quality.
In reality we got a few new channels that crackle, break up, or go off altogether. Coming out of an expensive power hungry box.
Thankfully my £5 FM radio still works a treat and my car system links to my phone for streaming/playing downloads.
Sweden stopped building DAB transmitters 10 years ago and shut down the majority already in operation, citing the technology had become obsolete with the spread of smartphones and streaming, not offering much advantage to the existing FM-network and making e-waste of millions of radios.
https://www.svt.se/kultur/regeringen-slopar-dab-radion
DAB is widespread in the UK, and I would use it fairly often in the car. But I think FM is still better and more important to keep rather than ditching it for DAB only, especially for emergency situations.
We have a local DAB multiplex where I live and it only works for about a mile then cuts out. Meanwhile I could be 20mins outside Dublin and still pick up BBC radio FM overspill from Northern Ireland. FM seems a lot more robust to me and the receivers are much more simple and less power hungry.
Norway got rid of all FM transmitters in December 2017. So now only DAB+ works in Norway. The authorities advice everyone in Norway to have a DAB+ radio at home that is powered by batteries in case the electricity goes out.
I feel like it is worth keeping the basic AM/FM as it needs such little technology. It must be very cheap to keep going. All the digital radios I have had are rather hungry on the tech, need screens. A radio can be handheld and takes a single battery.