Digital Audio

Broadcasting
– radio now and for the
future

Submitted by

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 Manan . A
.Sanghavi

1. Introduction

Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), also known as Eureka 147, is a digital radio
technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in the UK
and Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB
format.

The DAB standard was designed in the 1980s, and receivers have been available in
many countries for several years. Proponents claim the standard offers several benefits over
existing analogue FM radio, such as higher fidelity audio, more stations in the same
broadcast spectrum, and increased resistance to noise, multipath, fading, and co-channel
interference. However, listening tests carried out by experts in the field of audio have shown
that the audio quality on DAB is lower than on FM in the UK for stationary receivers, due to
98% of stereo stations using a bit rate of 128 kbit/s with the MP2 audio codec, which
requires double that amount to achieve perceived CD quality.

An upgraded version of the system was released in February 2007, which is called
DAB+. This is not backward-compatible with DAB, which means that DAB-only receivers
will not be able to receive DAB+ broadcasts. DAB+ is approximately twice as efficient as
DAB due to the adoption of the AAC+ audio codec, and DAB+ can provide high quality
audio with as low as 64kbit/s. Reception quality will also be more robust on DAB+ than on
DAB due to the addition of Reed-Solomon error correction coding.

Italy, Malta, Switzerland have started transmitting DAB+ stations. Hungary is due to
launch DAB+ stations in 2008 and Australia and Germany are planning to launch DAB+ in
2009. The radio industry in the UK is expecting DAB+ stations to launch between 2010 and
2013, and podcast services using the DAB+ format will be launched in the UK in 2009.

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2. History
DAB has been under development since 1981 at the Institut für Rundfunktechnik
(IRT). In 1985 the first DAB demonstrations were held at the WARC-ORB in Geneva and in
1988 the first DAB transmissions were made in Germany. Later DAB (or Eureka-147) was
developed as a research project for the European Union (Eureka project number EU147),
which started in 1987 on initiative by a consortium formed in 1986. The MPEG-1 Audio
Layer II ("MP2") codec was created as part of the EU147 project. DAB was the first
standard based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation
technique, which since then has become one of the most popular transmission schemes for
modern wideband digital communication systems.

A choice of audio codec, modulation and error-correction coding schemes and first
trial broadcasts were made in 1990. Public demonstrations were made in 1993 in the United
Kingdom. The protocol specification was finalized in 1993 and adopted by the ITU-R
standardization body in 1994, the European community in 1995 and by ETSI in 1997. Pilot
broadcasts were launched in several countries in 1995.

The UK was the first country to receive a wide range of radio stations via DAB.
Commercial DAB receivers began to be sold in 1999 and over 50 commercial and BBC
services were available in London by 2001.

By 2006, 500 million people worldwide were in the coverage area of DAB
broadcasts, although by this time sales had only taken off in the UK and Denmark. In 2006
there were approximately 1,000 DAB stations in operation world wide.[8]

The standard was coordinated by the European DAB forum, formed in 1995 and
reconstituted to the World DAB Forum in 1997, which represents more than 30 countries. In
2006 the World DAB Forum became the World DMB Forum which now presides over both
the DAB and DMB standard.

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 In October 2005, the World DMB Forum instructed its Technical Committee to carry
out the work needed to adopt the AAC+ audio codec and stronger error correction coding.
This work led to the

3. Analogue radio

In 1895, Guglielmo Marconi (1874 – 1937) conducted his first experiments with
wireless telegraphy on his father’s estate in Italy. Now, a century later, analogue AM and
FM emission standards have achieved technological and operational maturity; every day,
radio reaches about two billion receivers worldwide, offering the listeners a large diversity of
speech and music programmes. Nevertheless, these analogue emission standards are failing
to provide many listeners with the audio quality they have come to expect in this age of the
compact disc.

3.1. Frequency shortages

The frequency bands available for sound broadcasting are either rapidly saturating or
have already become saturated. As a result, the reception quality is suffering more and more
from mutual interference between transmissions. In many countries, there are now very little
or no prospects of additional radio services being provided by means of the existing
analogue technologies.

3.2. Difficulties with FM radio reception

FM radio services in VHF Band II were originally planned in the 1950s and 60s for
fixed reception using a directional receiving antenna at a height of 10 m above ground level.
Those listeners who have installed a good outdoor (or loft-mounted) antenna are generally
quite happy with the quality of their FM reception. However, the majority of radio listening
today is carried out with portable and mobile receivers which use only a simple whip (or
telescopic) antenna, resulting in substandard FM reception quality in many areas. FM
reception quality on a portable radio can be very variable inside large buildings such as
multistory “tower blocks”. This is due to the attenuation of the FM radio signals by (and
internal reflections from) the walls of the building (particularly if constructed from steel-
reinforced concrete).

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 When listening on a portable or a mobile receiver, FM reception can be badly
affected by shadowing (i.e. the blocking or screening of the signals by tall buildings and hills
which lie in the direction of the transmitter) and by passive echoes (the arrival at the receiver
of delayed “multipath” signals which have been reflected from tall buildings and hills). For
the motorist, there is the additional problem that the strength and quality of the received FM
signals can change very rapidly as the vehicle proceeds. This places an almost impossible
burden on the car radio receiver.

3.3. Shortcomings of international broadcasting

International broadcasters use terrestrial AM systems on the shortwave (HF) bands as

the primary means of delivering radio to wide supranational areas. These transmissions are
affected by diurnal and seasonal propagation variations which cause fading and occasional
loss of signal completely. Hence, as a consumer commodity in the age of the CD,
international shortwave broadcasting has lost much of its former attraction. Today, one of the
main objectives of international broadcasters is to design and implement viable services
which are based on a new universal digital delivery system. This could be either a satellite or
a terrestrial system, possibly a combination of the two, which in time would replace
shortwave broadcasting (see Section 15.).

4. Beginnings of digital radio

Radio is witnessing an increasingly strong competition from non-broadcast media

which use digital techniques to produce the optimum performance, at a cost that is
acceptable to large consumer markets.

The compact disc was the first mass-storage digital medium to offer superior sound
quality in the domestic marketplace. The CD has now been joined by various other tape and
disk storage formats, such as R-DAT and S-DAT, digital compact cassette (DCC), MiniDisc
(MD) and CD-I. In parallel with these mass-storage developments, digital sound-
broadcasting systems – which use relatively simple source- and channel-coding techniques –
have been developed. These systems have been designed for specific purposes where
immunity to frequency-selective fading is not required and where reception is only via a
static receiver. They do not provide reliable reception in a multipath propagation
environment. The main systems to date are now described briefly.

4.1. NICAM 728

NICAM 728 is a digital stereophonic sound system which was developed for use
with PAL terrestrial television broadcasting (recently for use with SECAM also).

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 Directional receiving antennas are used to eliminate, or at least reduce, any multipath
problems.

4.2. DSR

The Digital Satellite Radio (DSR) system is a highquality stereo satellite system
which provides sixteen sound programmes in an FSS/BSS satellite channel.

4.3. ADR
The Astra Digital Radio (ADR) system has been developed recently for the satellite
distribution of 4 digital sound signals to fixed individual receivers and to feed national FM
networks (and possibly DAB networks at a later date). It is planned that ADR services will
commence later this year. The ADR system makes use of unused capacity available on the
existing analogue transponders of Astra satellites. Each transponder can accommodate
twelve digitally-modulated subcarriers, each of which can carry a digital stereo sound
programme at a data rate of 192 kbit/s.

4.4. DVB

Recently, the European Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) Project has developed and
standardized a digital television broadcasting system for satellite and cable delivery. The
DVB system makes use of ISO/IEC MPEG-2 video/audio source coding and transport
packet multiplexing, in conjunction with either QPSK modulation (for satellite delivery) or
multi-level QAM modulation (for cable delivery). The DVB system allows potentially large
numbers (several hundreds) of audio programmes to be carried in a BSS/FSS satellite
channel, but it is only suitable for stationary reception at home.

5. Eureka 147 DAB system

The Eureka 147 DAB system has been developed by a European consortium which
was established in 1987 and now has over 40 members; it is composed of manufacturers,
broadcasters, network providers and research institutes. The Project Office of the Eureka 147
Consortium is managed by the DLR2, based in Cologne, Germany. A Eureka on-line
information service is available on the Internet World Wide Web and can be accessed via:
http://www.dlr.de/DAB/.

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 The Eureka 147 DAB system has been designed to provide high-quality, multi-
programme digital sound and data broadcasting services – not only for reception by fixed
receivers but particularly for in-car and portable reception using a simple whip antenna.

The Eureka DAB system can operate in any dedicated broadcasting band at both
VHF and UHF. Even when working in severe multipath conditions, such as in dense urban
areas, the system provides an unimpaired sound quality in the DAB receiver. The system has
also been designed as a flexible, general-purpose, integrated services digital

broadcasting system which supports a wide range of source- and channel-coding options, as
well as programme-associated and independent data services.

5.1. DAB ensembles

Unlike conventional analogue broadcasting, the DAB system enables several sound
programmes to be multiplexed together and broadcast on the same radio-frequency channel.
The number of programmes in an “ensemble” (i.e. a multiplex) depends on the trade-off
implemented between:
1) the encoded bit rate per audio programme;
2) the channel protection that is provided against errors occurring on the propagation path;
3) the data capacity required for the various
programme-associated and independent data services that are included in the ensemble.

5.2. COFDM

In the Eureka 147 system, a transmission technique called coded orthogonal

frequency division multiplex (COFDM) is employed. In this system, the complete ensemble
is transmitted via several hundred (or even several thousand) closelyspaced RF carriers
which occupy a total bandwidth of around 1.5 MHz, the so-called frequency block. Each
individual RF carrier transmits – at a fairly low data rate – only a tiny fraction of the total
data which makes up the ensemble, thus providing a form of diversity reception.

With COFDM, multipath reception is practically eliminated. Due to the low data rate
of each RF carrier, any delayed reflections of the signal (i.e. “passive echoes”) add in a
constructive manner to the direct signal already received. The only situation where passive
echoes do not contribute in a constructive manner is when the delays are much greater than
the time guard interval of the DAB signal, i.e. greater than 300 _s at VHF. (Delays of this

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 magnitude are extremely rare in most types of terrain where multipath reflections are
apparent.)

5.3. A conceptual DAB transmitter and receiver

Figure 1 shows a conceptual DAB transmitter drive, in which a sound and a data
service are coded individually at source level, then error protected and time interleaved.
Next, the sound and data services are multiplexed into the Main Service Channel, together
with other services, according to a predetermined but changeable service configuration. The
multiplexer output is frequency interleaved and combined with multiplex control and service
information which travel in a Fast Information Channel which is not time interleaved. At this
stage, very rugged synchronization pulses are added and then OFDM is applied to the signal
before, finally, it is DQPSKmodulated onto a large number of RF carriers to form the
complete DAB signal.

Figure 1 Conceptual DAB transmitter drive

Figure 2 shows a conceptual receiver in which the wanted DAB ensemble is selected
in the analogue tuner, downconverted and quadrature demodulated before applying it to an
analogue-todigital converter. Thereafter, the receiver performs the operations of the
transmitter in reverse order. The digitized output of the converter is fed to the Fast Fourier
Transform (FFT) stage and then differentially demodulated. This stage is followed by a time
and frequency de-interleaving process, and error correction. Next, the original coded

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 Figure 1 Conceptual DAB Receiver

services are further processed in an audio decoder, including an error concealment circuit, to
produce the left and right audio signals.

The decoding of more than one service component from the same ensemble, such as
an audio programme in parallel with a data service, is practicable and provides interesting
possibilities for new receiver features.

6. Eureka 147 and Intellectual Property Rights

Recently, the Eureka 147 Consortium has resolved the issues concerning DAB and
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). The DAB system is now considered as fully open; it can
be manufactured by any interested party following the fulfilment of the licence conditions.
The Consortium is willing to negotiate licenses with other parties on a nondiscriminatory
basis and on reasonable terms and conditions. No broadcaster will be charged for
implementing DAB networks based on the Eureka 147 system.

7. Principal advantages of DAB

7.1. CD quality

DAB has several advantages over conventional analogue AM/FM broadcasting. The
main benefit is that the high sound quality, normally indistinguishable from that of the CD, is
effectively free from interference. However, DAB also has a unique ability to serve the
mobile audience, thus providing high-quality coverage wherever and whenever required.

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7.2. Spectrum efficiency

A further advantage of DAB is that it is spectrumefficient. This means that it will be

possible to increase the number of radio stations – initially by a factor of at least three when
compared with FM – without congesting the radio waves. As more efficient audio coding
(compression) methods are introduced, it will be possible to carry even more radio
programmes with no degradation to existing services, and without needing to modify
existing receivers. A radio set of the future will thus make it possible to choose, for example,
a favourite type of music station from among hundreds of music stations.

7.3. “Active echoes”

As mentioned in Section 4.2., the Eureka 147 DAB system is able to use “passive
echoes” such that they add in a constructive manner to the direct signals already received.
The Eureka system is also able to use “active echoes” constructively – i.e. delayed signals
generated by other co-channel transmitters. This leads to two important concepts:
– Single frequency networks (SFNs);
– Co-channel gap-fillers.

The SFN concept enables all transmitters covering a particular area with the same set
of sound programmes to operate on the same nominal radiofrequency channel, i.e. within the
same frequency block. All SFN transmitters need to be synchronized, in terms of both
frequency and time, and the transmitted bit stream must be identical. Although the signals
emitted by the various transmitters are received with different time delays, the receiver
recognises this as a direct signal coming from the nearest transmitter, followed by “active
echoes” coming from other transmitters in the SFN.

Gap-filling represents the second type of application which makes full use of the
“active echo” concept. A gap-filler act rather like a mirror; it receives the signals from the
main transmitter and retransmits them at low power on the same frequencies to provide
coverage in an area where the main transmitter is not received satisfactorily. Although the
listener receives signals from both the main transmitter and the gap-filler at slightly different
times, the two sets of signals add together constructively to enhance the reception of the
programme. The gap-filling concept is useful both for terrestrial and satellite broadcasting
systems.

As a result of these two concepts, DAB eliminates the problem of having to retune
car radios at frequent intervals. At present, long-distance drivers who are listening to an FM
programme are forced to retune as they move away from the area covered by one transmitter

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 to that of another. With DAB, however, a car radio does not need to be retuned because the
wanted station will be in the same frequency block everywhere within a national or regional
service area.

7.4. Flexible bit rates

The Eureka 147 DAB system is a highly flexible and dynamically reconfigurable
system. It can accommodate a range of bit rates between 8 and 384 kbit/s3, with a range of
channel protection mechanisms.

Some broadcasters are interested in using low audio bit rates per audio channel, say
between 16 and 64 kbit/s, in order to transmit more channels at slighly reduced quality.

With a bit rate of 32 kbit/s per audio channel, the Eureka multiplex of 1.5 MHz can
accommodate as many as thirty-six channels, with 1/2 channel protection level.

7.5. DAB transmission modes

Technically, the Euraka 147 DAB system can be used at any frequency between 30
MHz and 3 GHz. This wide range of frequencies includes VHF Bands I, II and III, UHF
Bands IV and V, and L-Band (which is around 1.5 GHz). Since the propagation conditions
vary with frequency, four DAB transmission modes are used (see Table 1). These modes are
detected automatically by the receiver and are transparent to the user. Mode I is suitable for
SFNs operating at frequencies below 300 MHz .

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 Table 1 Transmission modes of the Eureka 147 DAB system.

Notes: Ensemble bandwidth = 1.536 MHz

Sampling frequency = 2.048 MHz

Mode II has been designed for local and regional services at frequencies below 1.5
GHz and Mode III is available for satellite broadcasting below 3 GHz. Mode IV has recently
been introduced to enable existing transmitter sites to provide optimum and seamless
coverage of large areas by means of SFNs operating in L-Band. The parameters of Mode IV
lie between those of Mode I and Mode II.

7.6. Data services

Although audio has been its primary raison d’être, the Eureka 147 transmission
system can also be used to carry a large variety of programmeassociated and independent
data services. Many data services of the programme-associated category will probably be
transmitted from the outset and will be received by the first generation of DAB consumer-
type receivers. Later on, independent data services may also appear. These would be
received by dedicated data receivers, including those incorporated in desk-top and laptop
computers. Two examples of this application are the electronic delivery of newspapers and
the transmission of compressed video images such as weather maps.

The Eureka system’s immunity to multipath and other reception impairments will
guarantee errorfree data reception in the mobile environment. Hence, the Eureka 147 system
is an ideal complement to the wired Information Highway distribution system now being
established worldwide. Further data-transmission possibilities of DAB are outlined in
Section 18.

7.7. Future-proofing

The Eureka 147 DAB system is future-proof. Once the receiver has been purchased,
it will not become obsolete as the digital technology develops, nor as new services and
applications emerge.

In Europe, for example, DAB delivery will commence via terrestrial networks.
Nevertheless, the receivers designed for use with these terrestrial services should, in
principle, also be able to receive future DAB services delivered via satellite and cable. In
other words, the Eureka 147 system will become a universal means to deliver sound
programmes and data, irrespective of the transmission medium used4.

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8. System constraints

The design of a new system is inherently a tradeoff between different technical and
operational choices. Thus, when introducing DAB services, one must be aware of the
technical constraints of the Eureka 147 system, which may generally be overcome by the use
of suitable operational practices.

The main technical constraints are now described.

8.1. System processing delay

The DAB system chain includes several blocks which introduce a significant
processing delay. For example, the time interleaver introduces a delay of 384 ms, and the
audio coder/decoder introduces a delay of several tens of milliseconds.

The total delay in the system may vary from one implementation to the next.

The system delay should be taken into account when the receiver switches between
DAB and FM “simulcast” programmes, so that a seamless transition is obtained. It will
become necessary for simulcast FM transmissions to be delayed by nominally the same
amount, say one second, regardless of the receiver design. This nominal delay should be
taken into account when signaling the current time information.

8.2. Frequency accuracy in SFNs

In order not to reduce the performance of the DAB system, the difference in
frequency between geographically- adjacent transmitters must be kept to an absolute
minimum – of the order of a few hertz in 108. Consequently, the local oscillators of all
transmitters must be locked to a rubidium oscillator, or to a common reference which is
distributed to all the transmitters.

8.3. Time accuracy in SFNs

The time difference between geographically adjacent transmitters will have an

implication on the system’s capability to cope with “active echoes”. Therefore, all the
transmitters operating in an SFN should be time-synchronized with an accuracy of better
than 25 _s (i.e. approximately 10 % of the guard interval in Transmission Mode I).

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8.4. Bit-by-bit compliance in SFNs

In principle, the bit-streams emitted from all transmitters operating in an SFN should
be identical. If this condition is not fulfilled, there will be a “mush area” (i.e. interference
zone) between the transmitters where the DAB receiver may be confused. Tests are being
undertaken to assess the size of the mush area in the case where a local transmitter “opts out”
from an SFN, thus emitting a different bit stream to the other transmitters in the SFN.

8.5. Receiver speed limit

As the speed of a vehicle increases, the performance of an on-board DAB receiver

progressively degrades, due to the Doppler effect. The “receiver speed limit” may be
considered as the vehicular speed at which the RF signal-to-noise ratio degrades by 4 dB,
due to the Doppler effect. While this does not affect the audio quality, it may reduce the
DAB coverage area slightly – but only in a fast-moving vehicle.

In the case of an SFN operating at VHF, the receiver speed limit is about 200 km/h.
When the receiver operates at 1.5 GHz and Transmission Mode IV is used, the speed limit is
about 120 km/h.

9. Standardization

A common transmission standard for DAB, as opposed to a multitude of proprietory

standards, has always been preferred by EBU Members. A single standard would readily
lead to the mass production of DAB receivers, bringing their prices down to an affordable
level. It would open the door to free market competition, resulting in a wide variety of
receiver brands offering a range of qualities and features. A unique DAB standard would
mean that the same core electronic circuitry in the receiver could be used in all parts of the
world, as is the case today with AM and FM radio.It would also reduce the need to perform
standards conversion with its inherent degradation of the signal. A single DAB standard
would introduce stability in the market and the DAB technology would last for a long time.

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 In pursuing the above objectives, the EBU has been instrumental in establishing a
unique DAB standard at both the European and the worldwide levels.

9.1. ETSI

In late 1994, the Eureka 147 DAB system was adopted by ETSI5 as a European
Standard. ETSI then published the standard – ETS 300 401 [4] – in February 1995. The ETSI
Standard describes the technical details of the broadcast on-air signal and is applicable to
terrestrial, satellite and cable delivery, in all the frequency bands that are available for
broadcasting above 30 MHz. The concept of the Standard is such that it includes both
mandatory and optional features of the system, and it allows for future functional
refinements and additions by the application of appropriate software tools. The Standard
permits different levels of implementation to meet a variety of market requirements,
production costs and receiver types.

9.2. ITU

The global DAB standardization process is being conducted within the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) which, among other things, considers new developments in
broadcasting technology and agrees the technical standards of broadcasting systems – for
both radio and televi-sion – on a worldwide basis. Over the years, EBU Members have
contributed extensively to different ITU working parties on the results of R&D work carried
out in their own laboratories.
Since 1985, the ITU-R6 has studied proposals for new digital sound broadcasting
systems – for both satellite and terrestrial delivery to vehicular, portable and fixed receivers
in the frequency range 30 – 3000 MHz. This information has been included in Report 955 for
satellite sound broadcasting and Report 1203 for terrestrial sound broadcasting. Both reports
still provide useful background information for analogue and digital system characteristics
and frequency planning considerations, but they are now being superseded by a new ITU-R
Special Publication on Digital Sound Broadcasting (see Section 8.2.4.).

Since 1987, the ITU-R has been attempting to agree on the technical and operational
requirements that any digital sound broadcasting system should fulfill. In November 1991,
Working Parties 10B and 10-11S adopted two new draft Recommendations on the system
and service requirements. These Recommendations were slightly revised in
November/December 1994

Two important requirements should be highlighted here:

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 A) The satellite and the terrestrial systems should both provide significantly-
improved performance in a multipath and shadowing environment, when compared with
existing analogue systems;

B) The satellite and the terrestrial systems should both be capable of utilizing
common signal processing circuits in the receivers.

9.2.1. Digital Systems A and B

The most important ITU-R effort for some years has been focused on agreeing a
Recommendation on the sound broadcasting system itself. The Eureka 147 system – known
in ITU parlance as Digital System A – was first recommended by Working Party 10B (as a
terrestrial system) and by Working Party 10-11S (as a satellite system) in October 1993, but
only provisionally. A formal Recommendation was not possible at that time because some
delegates wished to await the successful outcome of tests being conducted by the US
Electronic Industry Association (EIA) on the so-called “IBOC” and “IBAC” approaches

(see Section 14.), and on the satellite system proposed jointly by the Voice of America and
the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, known as ITU-R Digital System B. These tests were originally
planned to finish by the end of 1994 but the estimated completion date has now slipped back
until well into 1996.

9.2.2. A common worldwide standard for digital radio

At the late-1994 meetings of ITU-R Working Parties 10B and 10-11S, it was decided
unanimously to adopt two Draft Recommendations, BS.1114 [9] and BO.1130 [10]. The first
of these drafts recommends to ITU members to use Digital System A for terrestrial delivery
in the frequency range 30 – 3000 MHz. The second one recommends that administrations
wishing, in the near future, to implement BSS (sound) which meets some or all of the
requirements stated in ITU-R Recommendation BO.789 should consider the use of Digital
System A.

Both these Draft Recommendations include a Note which, in principle, opens the
door to other systems as well – when they are sufficiently developed and tested, and when
they have shown that they would meet the agreed and approved ITU requirements given in
Recommendations 774 or 789 (for terrestrial and satellite systems, respectively).

It was only possible for the ITU to adopt the above two Draft Recommendations
because the EBU was able to present important evidence to the late-1994 meetings of
Working Parties 10B and 10-11S. This evidence included a final Eureka 147 system

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 specification (corresponding to the ETSI standard), as well as comprehensive EBU
evaluations on the RF performance characteristics of DAB (including the subjective audio
quality versus the RF signal-to-noise ratio) and the interference protection ratios required to
protect other services in the same or the adjacent bands, or to protect DAB services
themselves. In addition, many administrations were able to present the results of their own
field tests and experiments.

The achievement of a common worldwide Standard is rare in the history of

broadcasting. In the case of the Eureka 147 system, it was only possible due to the joint
efforts of, and extensive cooperation between, European and Canadian broadcasters, research
institutes and the radio manufacturing industry. The Eureka system also had the support of
many administrations outside Europe, particularly from the developing countries.

It should be pointed out that, so far, no other digital radio system submitted to the
ITU has been able to achieve the level of success of the Eureka 147 system. However, the
situation may change when, or if, other systems reach a level of maturity that is comparable
to the present Eureka 147 system; the proponents of these new systems could then knock at
the door of the ITU and claim worldwide recognition as well!

9.2.3. A common worldwide standard for audio compression

Following extensive subjective tests, ITU-R Task Group 10/2 has adopted for
emission the ISO/ MPEG Layer II format at 256 kbit/s. This audio bit-rate reduction system
has been developed and implemented within the Eureka 147 Project and is known as
Musicam. It uses a range of bit rates between 8 and 192 kbit/s per monophonic channel to
allow some flexibility in optimizing the trade-off between the intrinsic audio quality and the
service ruggedness. A high-quality stereo channel will generally use bit rates at the higher
end of the range, e.g. 2 x 96 kbit/s.

9.2.4. ITU Special Publication on Digital Sound Broadcasting

The ITU-R has prepared a Special Publication on Digital Sound Broadcasting [11].
This comprehensive book is based on the studies performed since 1991 by ITU-R Working
Parties 10B and 10-11S, and covers both terrestrial and satellite digital sound broadcasting. It
contains a theoretical part on the different systems, a section on frequency planning
approaches and experimental evidence derived from laboratory and field tests carried out on
the different systems. This ITU-R Special Publication is particularly useful to those who are
planning DSB services in the near future, but it may also be interesting for those who have a
medium- to long-term interest in DSB services, particularly in the developing countries.

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9.3. CENELEC

CENELEC7 is planning to release a receiver standard for Eureka 147 DAB, by the
end of 1995. Based on a draft technical report already prepared by EACEM8 [12], the
CENELEC Standard will define only those mandatory parameters which are necessary for
Eureka 147 DAB receivers to interpret correctly the received signals; non-mandatory
parameters will not be specified and may be open to competition in the marketplace.
A specification of the receiver data interface (RDI) of the Eureka 147 system has
been drawn up and will be converted into a CENELEC European Standard in due course.
Via the RDI, it will be possible to connect computers, printers and dedicated decoders for
data applications, as well as devices for audio post-processing and recording.

10. Role of the EBU

EBU Members have long been in agreement that a new digital radio broadcasting
system should be designed to supersede AM and FM analogue technology. Towards this end,
they were instrumental in initiating a series of studies in 1985, initially on satellite DAB
aspects.

It was soon realized that EBU Members would not be able to design and develop a
new system by themselves. Cooperation with the manufacturers and with national
administrations would be necessary. Hence, the Eureka 147 Consortium was set up in 1987
and has been actively supported by EBU Members ever since. In order to guide the Eureka
147 Consortium, EBU Members initially drafted the user requirements with which the new
system should comply. Although the EBU, as an association of broadcasters, could not
become a formal member of the Eureka 147 Consortium, many EBU member organizations
individually joined the Eureka 147 Project. Furthermore, the EBU Technical Department
actively participated in the deliberations taking place within the Eureka working bodies.

The EBU has actively supported the promotion of the Eureka 147 system; many
demonstrations have been organized jointly with the Eureka 147 Consortium. In particular,
the EBU was instrumental in promoting the Eureka 147 system within the ITU and at the
World Conference of Broadcasting Unions. The EBU also organized the work which led to
the establishment of the ETSI European Standard on DAB.

In April 1994, the EBU Technical Committee adopted EBU Recommendation R79-
1994. This document recommends the Eureka 147 system for terrestrial and satellite delivery
of DAB services. An EBU Working Party, set up to evaluate the DAB system, prepared a

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 comprehensive technical document on base band and radio frequency performance of the
system, and the protection ratios required. Based on this information, it was possible to
establish the sharing criteria for DAB services and other services using the same or the
adjacent frequency bands.

10.1. Project Groups

As described in the previous issue of EBU Technical Review , the EBU will soon
complete a major reorganization of its working groups in order to improve the efficiency of
their studies and to speed up the approval procedures. Work is now entrusted to a limited
number of Project Groups, comprising a minimum number of experts. Each Group is
assigned a specific task to be accomplished within a limited time-frame. The following
Project Groups – all operating within the EBU Broadcast Management Committee – are
involved in different aspects of DAB:

– B/DAC (DAB Characterization and Evaluation);

– B/TAP (Terrestrial Audio Planning);
– B/INB (International Broadcasting);
– B/DSI (Detailed Spectrum Investigation);
– B/PPD (Propagation Predictions for Digital Services).

10.2. Guidelines for implementation and operation

Based on the work carried out by the Eureka 147 Project Group, the EBU is planning
to publish Guidelines for Implementation and Operation as a companion to the ETS 300 401
Standard. This document – which is extremely important for EBU Members who wish to
start DAB services – is intended to provide additional information on the system, to aid
interpretation of on-air signals conforming to the ETSI Standard, and to assist the
broadcasters and manufacturers to implement systems using the specification features as
intended.

10.3. Interfaces

Two interface-related DAB standards, produced within the framework of the Eureka
147 DAB project, are very important for broadcasters. The first one, Ensemble Transport

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 Interface (ETI) [16], has already been issued by the EBU. The second one, entitled Service
Transport Interface, will be completed by the Eureka 147 Consortium this autumn.

10.4. Frequency planning

One area of the EBU’s DAB activity which must be highlighted is its contribution to
the CEPT9 on frequency planning matters. On behalf of the CEPT, the EBU was responsible
for coordinating the preparations for the CEPT Planning Meeting on terrestrial DAB
services, held during July 1995 in Wiesbaden, Germany (see Section 11., and also the article
starting on page 28 [17]). The EBU issued a Technical Document [18] in June 1995 which
considers all the major elements of network planning, network concepts and the main
planning parameters to be taken into account (such as protection ratios, necessary field
strengths and coordination parameters).

11. EuroDab Forum

In order to stimulate the transfer of technology from the laboratory to the

marketplace, and following the proposal of several existing national forums, a European
DAB Forum – EuroDab – has been set up. The aim of the EuroDab Forum is also to
harmonize the activities of national DAB platforms and to encourage the establishment of
new national groupings in those countries which have not yet organized their activities on
DAB. The EuroDab Forum should be able to capitalize on the tremendous achievement of
the Eureka 147 DAB Project and to bring Digital System A to common practice. It should
also encourage cooperation, firstly at a European level but eventually worldwide, and try to
avoid duplication of work within the national groupings.

The first meeting of the Euro-Dab Forum, held in Geneva during March 1995, was
unanimous in agreeing upon the principal objective of the Euro- Dab Forum – to create in
Europe and in other parts of the world a framework for a harmonious and market-driven

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 development of DAB services using the terrestrial, cable and satellite broadcasting
infrastructure. All major national groupings on DAB – including broadcasters, service
providers and the manufacturing industry – were represented at the meeting. A number of
possible areas of activities have been identified, including:

– Audio programming issues;

– Programme-associated and independent data services;
– Marketing issues and a strategy for the introduction of DAB services;
–Coordination of business plans;
– Minimum requirements and optional characteristics of DAB receivers;
– Legal and regulatory matters;
– monitoring of standardization activities;
– Future evolution towards multimedia and interactive radio.

The Euro Dab Forum will organize conferences, seminars and symposia on DAB and
will launch studies, surveys and analyses on DAB markets. Initially, five working groups
will be set up, covering the following topics:

– Equipment;
– Regulatory matters;
– Marketing and promotion;
– Services;
– Satellite services.

The Euro Dab Forum is open to potential members from all parts of the world. Since
March 1995, more than 70 national forums, manufacturers, broadcasters, network providers,
media regulators and administrations have joined the Forum – and the number is still
increasing. Broadcasters, administrations and manufacturers from Canada, Australia, India,
China, Mexico and other non- European countries have also expressed an interest in joining
EuroDab.

Perhaps there is already a need to change the name from Euro-Dab to “WorldDab”,
or something similar!

12. Spectrum issues

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 A three-week Planning Meeting was convened in July 1995 by the CEPT . The aim
of this Meeting was to produce a Special Arrangement for the introduction of terrestrial
transmissions of the Eureka 147 DAB system in the frequency bands 46 – 68 MHz, 174 –
240 MHz and 1452 – 1467.5 MHz, as well as to prepare an associated Frequency Block
Allotment Plan, taking into account the final requirements of the CEPT member countries. A
full report on this CEPT meeting will appear in a future issue of EBU Technical Review.

Briefly, the Allotment Plan drawn up at the Meeting provides practically all the
member countries of the CEPT with two sets of frequency blocks, each of width 1.536 MHz.
This is a vital prerequisite to the wide-scale launch of terrestrial DAB services in Europe.
Most of the CEPT countries opted for frequency block allotments in VHF Band III and in L-
Band.

Table 2 gives a list of the 85 frequency blocks which, potentially, can be used for
current and future DAB services in Europe. The distribution of these frequency blocks is as
follows:

– 12 blocks in VHF Band I (47 – 68 MHz);

– 38 blocks in VHF Band III (174 MHz – 240 MHz);
– 23 blocks in L-Band (1452 – 1492 MHz);
– 12 blocks in VHF Band II (87 – 108 MHz).

DAB block numbers 1 to 59 correspond with the CEPT proposal put to the Meeting;
blocks 60 to 85 have been added to the Plan by the EBU. Each frequency block carries a
two- or three character label, which is easier to remember than the centre frequency of the
block, and which is convenient for receiver manufacturers and consumers to use when
initially programming their receivers.

The labelling system of the frequency blocks in VHF Band I and Band III is fully
compatible with the existing VHF television channel numbers (i.e. Channels 2 to 13). Each
of these television channels can accommodate four DAB blocks; six blocks in the case of
Channel 13. All the frequencies listed in the table comply with the 16 kHz raster as specified
in the ETS 300 401 Standard.

One of the important results of the Meeting was a definition of the centre frequency
of each ensemble (i.e. frequency block). This information is very important for receiver
manufacturers and may help substantially to simplify the receiver design; before the
Meeting, any frequency in the 16 kHz raster could be used as the centre frequency, resulting
in a very large number of possibilities. The number of defined centre frequencies has now

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been reduced to match the total number of ensembles allocated in Band III and in L-Band
(i.e. 61). These centre frequencies are likely to be implemented in the first-generation DAB
receivers manufactured for the European market.

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Table 2b : DAB frequency blocks: 51 – 85.

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13. EIA tests in the USA

Independent laboratory tests on the Eureka 147 system have been conducted in the
USA by the Electronics Industry Association (EIA), in association with the National Radio
System Committee (NRSC). The results of these tests were presented during August 1995 in
Monterey, California .

13.1. In-band proposals

In addition to the Eureka 147 system, the EIA tests have included five proponents of
the so-called “in-band” concept, whereby the digital radio signals are transmitted in the same
band as the current analogue services; the digital signals are effectively overlaid on the
existing analogue signals. Two variants of the concept have been proposed: in-band on-
channel (IBOC) and in-band adjacent-channel (IBAC).

The in-band proposals outlined in the EIA tests are generally of a very complex
design and use advanced digital technology which is used in modern military applications
for the professional market. Therefore it is likely that “in-band” receivers will be quite
expensive. From the spectrum management viewpoint, the in-band digital systems currently
being proposed in the USA are designed to overlay analogue signals where the channel
spacing is 200 kHz. These systems are not directly applicable to Europe where the channel
spacing in VHF Band II is only 100 kHz.

The following in-band systems were tested in the laboratory by the EIA (one AM-
overlaid system and four FM-overlaid systems):

- USADR-AM (0.54 – 1.7 MHz) IBOC

- AT&T (FM band) IBAC
- AT&T Amati (FM band) IBOC
- USADR FM1 (FM band) IBOC
- USADR FM2 (FM band) IBOC

The main characteristics of the four FM-overlaid digital proposals are given in Table 3.

13.2. EIA test results

The EIA tests were divided into three categories as follows:

a) subjective quality tests on the source coding system, operating in a clear channel
(i.e. with no transmission errors);

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 b) objective digital tests on the overall system performance;

Table 3 Main characteristics (where known) of the four FM-overlaid digital proposals
submitted to the EIA

c) Objective and subjective compatibility tests carried out to determine the interaction
between the digital audio broadcasting system and the analogue transmission system within
the FM band.

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 The quality assessment results show that the Eureka 147 system – using ISO MPEG
Layer-II Musicam at 224 kbit/s – had the highest overall rank and the most consistent ratings
across the whole range of audio material which was used for the tests. Eureka 147 was the
only system that never fell below the “perceptible but not annoying” range. Out of nine
critical audio passages that were evaluated, four were judged to be transparent. The
published test results show that, in general, the in-band digital systems may cause intolerably
high interference to, and suffer interference from, the analogue services that are overlaid –
particularly in a multipath environment. Therefore, those broadcasters who wish to preserve
the high broadcasting standards of their existing FM services should not opt for an in-band
digital solution, given the present stage of its development. The published test results on the
Eureka 147 DAB system are more favorable. They confirm the conclusions of extensive
laboratory and field tests conducted in Europe, Canada, Australia and elsewhere – that the
Eureka system eliminates problems such as FM multipath and signal failure (dropout). It also
enables digital radio to coexist with AM and FM services with no interference. The results of
the EIA laboratory tests on the Eureka 147 DAB system are summarized in Table 4.

14. Is Eureka 147 suitable for international broadcasting?

In order to cover large zones of the world, international broadcasters currently use:

a) High-power terrestrial transmitters to radiate AM-modulated signals at LF, MF

and HF;
b) Sound sub-carriers on 11/12 GHz FSS satellites (with optional local redistribution
by terrestrial FM transmitters).

In January 1994, several international broadcasters established a consortium, now

called “Digital Radio World-wide”, whose main objective is to improve the technical quality
and the availability of their radio services in the future.

These broadcasters are looking into the possibility of delivering their programmes via
satellite or by hybrid means (i.e. satellite and complementary terrestrial methods), using the
WARC-92 frequencies. Another technical possibility would be to use a new narrow-band
(nominally 9 kHz) digital system to operate at “AM” frequencies (i.e. below 30 MHz), re-
using the existing terrestrial transmitter infrastructure.
Ideally, the chosen satellite system (designed to cover large areas) will have the same
modulation/ coding system parameters as the ground-based system (designed to cover
regional/national territories), such that the same receiver could be used. An essential
requirement for any new satellite system is that it should be able to provide for mobile and
portable reception in all types of propagation environments (rural, urban, etc.). The main
concern of international broadcasters is whether or not the Eureka 147 DAB system is
appropriate for the satellite delivery of their programmes.

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 Although the Eureka 147 DAB system has been developed as a terrestrial system,
there is no technical reason why it could not be used for satellite delivery as well. Many
computer simulations have shown that this assumption may be true, but real experiments are
needed to demonstrate that satellite delivery is both a technically viable and an economically
attractive proposal.

Two such experiments have been conducted recently – one in Australia, the other in
Mexico. The Australian test was carried out using the Optus B3 satellite at 1552 MHz. The
trial in Mexico, carried out by the BBC, used the Solitarian satellite. Both satellites were
originally launched to provide mobile phone services; they were not specifically designed for
multicarrier systems such as Eureka 147. Even so, the results showed that fixed and portable
reception of DAB signals via a satellite is technically feasible. Due to the low transmitting
power of the test satellites, mobile reception was possible only under line-of-sight
conditions.

A satellite simulation – using a helicopter – is being carried out jointly by the ESA,
the IRT and the BBC in Munich, to determine the service availability performance (i.e.
percentage of coverage) for different elevation angles.

One of the outstanding issues to be clarified is whether or not it is possible to up-link

from different feeder-link stations, programmes that constitute the same multiplex. Studies
are being undertaken within the Eureka 147 Project to determine how on-air multiplexing at
RF could be performed at the input to the satellite, in a similar manner to the well-
established TDMA12 technology used with FSS satellites. Preliminary results indicate that
feeding the satellite from different uplink stations may not be a major technical problem.
However, it will be necessary to coordinate between the different feeder-link stations – in
terms of time synchronization (approximately only) and power control – but such
coordination is quite normal in any TDMA and FDM system.

Because the Eureka 147 DAB system is a multicarrier system, some output back-off
at the satellite will be necessary to reduce the amount of intermodulation. Similar back-off
will be necessary with the alternative FDM systems (such as the WorldSpace system), since
multichannel operation already generates multicarriers. Thus, it is fair to assume that there
will be no significant difference between the DAB and the FDM systems, in terms of the

output back-off required at the satellite. In the Australian DAB experiment, the transponder
operated satisfactorily with an output backoff of 2.2 dB.

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 Digital System B is a valid candidate to become a second digital radio system
recommended by the ITU-R (see Section 8.2.1.). Technically, Digital System B seems to be
very similar to the World-Space system, i.e. it uses a single carrier, modulated by a relatively
high bit-rate signal which carries one or more audio programmes and data. Such systems
cannot generally overcome multipath problems unless very sophisticated and expensive
equalization processing is used at the receiver. So far, only line-of-sight reception has been
demonstrated satisfactorily with this type of system.

International broadcasters are usually interested in large coverage areas. Therefore a

geostationary (GEO) satellite system could be satisfactory to cover low-latitude areas, such
as most parts of Africa, Central and South America, India, Indonesia, etc. However, many
regions of the world that wish to be covered are situated in the northern hemisphere (above
30 – 40 degrees latitude), including Europe, China and Japan. For such areas, the HEO13
satellite concept – promoted currently by the Archimedes project of the European Space
Agency – seems to be of interest, as it would enable greater penetration to mobile receivers
in urban areas (due to the high elevation angle of the satellite, and hence less shadowing of
the signals). In practice, a combination of the HEO and GEO concepts may be an attractive
solution. The Eureka 147 DAB system addresses both GEO and HEO satellite solutions.

It should be pointed out that there are several technical matters associated with the
HEO satellite concept which must be considered carefully, such as hand-over from one
satellite to the next (with the resultant potential for signal drop-out), zooming of the beam,
polarization rotation and crossing the van Allen belt. There may be difficulties also on the
regulatory side (sharing of the band, notification procedures, etc.). It is understood that the
ESA has been addressing the above points to find satisfactory solutions.

For international broadcasting, all WARC-92 bands (i.e. bands located at 1.5, 2.3 and
2.6 GHz) should be considered. Preference should clearly be given to the 1.5 GHz band for
technical and economic reasons (the best trade-off between the size of satellite transmit
antenna and its transmit power). Preliminary studies have shown that, at 2.6 GHz,
considerably larger transponder output power would be required (of the order of four times
greater than that required at 1.5 GHz). DAB Transmission Modes II, III or IV are suitable for
use at these frequencies.

15. DAB as a multimedia carrier

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 Within the Eureka 147 Project, further developments are underway to study the use
of the Eureka 147 System as a multimedia and data broadcasting system. This study is aimed
at expanding the future use of the Eureka 147 DAB system beyond the provision of excellent
sound reception in adverse mobile and portable environments. In addition to the
conventional audio services, the system is opening up many new opportunities to carry a
number of non-audio services, such as text, still pictures, moving images, etc.

The multiplex of the Eureka 147 system has been designed to carry a large number of
digital services with a total bit rate of up to 1.7 Mbit/s, organized in up to 64 stream- or
packet-mode subchannels. Four different data transport mechanisms have been defined in the
DAB standard:

- Programme Associated Data (PAD)

- Fast Information Channel (FIC)
- Stream Mode (SM)
- Packet Mode (PM)

The choice of transport mechanism depends on the kind of data that it is necessary to
transport. For example, the Programme Associated Data is suitable for services which bear a
strong relationship to the audio signal. Since this data is taken from the audio frame, there is
a trade-off between the intrinsic audio quality and the PAD data capacity.

The FIC Channel was originally intended to carry information on the organization of
the DAB multiplex. Nevertheless, the FIC can carry a limited amount of additional
information, such as paging and emergency warning messages. Dedicated (or special-
purpose) receivers which only decode the FIC part of the multiplex may be significantly less
complex than general-purpose DAB receivers. In Stream Mode, a subchannel is assigned to a
single data service, providing a fixed data rate (in multiples of 8 kbit/s) with specific error
correction.

In Packet Mode, a number of services may share the same subchannel. Packet
headers contain a service address which allows the receiver to restore the original data. The
PM is a convenient way to carry asynchronous services (which use variable data rates).
Examples of DAB data services currently being implemented are given below. These
services may be presented either in the form of textual information (shown, for example, on
a simple receiver display of, typically, between 8 and 128 characters), still pictures or even
video images.

– Programme-associated services such as current song title, interpreter and

performer, lyrics, news headlines, CD covers, etc.;

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 – News including events, traffic messages, weather, sport, stock market, travel and
tourist information;

– Traffic navigation by means of transmitted digitized roadmaps, combined with

positional information provided via the GPS system.

– Advertisements and sales including sales catalogues, purchase offers, etc.;

– Entertainment including games and noncommercial bulletin boards;

– Closed user group services such as banking information, electronic newspapers, fax
print outs and remote teaching.

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16. Manufacturers

In order to receive DAB services, consumers will need to buy a new kind of receiver.
The consumer DAB receivers will also contain FM and AM circuits which, initially, will be
analogue. However, it will not be long before the AM and FM circuits in a DAB receiver
become digital. These alldigital AM/FM/DAB receivers will be based on advanced computer
technology, which will allow the downloading of large quantities of information to program
the radio set and its associated equipment (digital cassette recorders, MiniDisc recorders,
PCs, etc.).

At the recent IFA fair in Berlin, six manufacturers (Alpine, Bosch, Grundig,
Kenwood, Philips and Sony) displayed their current DAB receivers. In fact, they look more
like semi-professional equipment; the DAB part is in a separate box, mounted in the boot
with a link to an FM/RDS receiver in the dashboard. These first-generation car receivers are
not generally available yet; they can only be purchased on special order and in limited
quantities for evaluation purposes.

As shown in Figure 2, the first mass-produced DAB car radios are not expected until
1997; the first portable DAB receivers are projected for 1999. The industry has been carrying
out a lot of research and development on further applications of the DAB system, including:

– Data-only receivers;
– Picture radios and advanced teletext full bitstream video decoders;
– Navigation systems;
– Differential GPS;
– Traffic information systems;
– Traffic Message Control (TMC);
– Real time packet-mode multiplexers / demultiplexers;
– Fax;
– Videotext;
– Audio in conjunction with radio text (dynamic labels);

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17. Conclusions

The Eureka 147 DAB system – now an ETSI European Standard and an ITU
worldwide Standard – has all the ingredients to be converted from a brilliant technological
achievement into a very successful product in the marketplace.

The Eureka system has great potential for many reasons: governments are facing the
hard task of sharing out the finite radio spectrum between a mass of conflicting interests and
they welcome DAB as a highly spectrum-efficient system; broadcasters see the opportunity
to offer more services of better quality and presentation; manufacturers welcome the
opportunity to sell large quantities of DA B receivers and associated equipment, and network
operators are keen to build the new distribution and transmitter networks that are required for
DAB terrestrial services. Not least, the listener welcomes a new technology which offers
more choice and higher technical quality, as well as a very robust signal when listening in a
vehicle or on a portable set.

A new frequency allotment plan at VHF and in L-Band has been agreed for Europe.
It provides sufficient frequencies for the start of terrestrial DAB services and, at the same
time, leaves the existing FM services in Band II untouched, in the short term.

Official DAB services started during September in both the UK and in Sweden and
this should encourage manufacturers to bring their DAB receiver products to the marketplace
as soon as possible.

The broadcasters, together with manufacturers and network providers, are continuing
their cooperation to investigate how DAB can be used optimally for new applications which
will be attractive for all listeners. The recently-formed EuroDab Forum will be instrumental
in pursuing those objectives.

Prophecies of the death of sound radio have proved unfounded. The radio is more
alive today than any other medium!

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