Spain’s government has approved a decree setting out the conditions for expanding digital radio using DAB+, aiming to advance a transition that has stalled for more than two decades. The standard can deliver radio without an internet connection and supports additional information and emergency alerts on compatible receivers.
The decree gives public broadcaster RTVE a phased coverage target: 80% of the population within 30 months. By the same deadline, its signal must reach 70% of towns with more than 25,000 residents and 70% of the state’s motorways and dual carriageways.
Private nationwide broadcasters will move to DAB+ within a designated frequency block while retaining their existing coverage obligations. The plan does not open new channels or call for additional licence tenders. It also sets no switch-off date for FM or medium-wave radio, so both will remain available alongside digital broadcasts.
Regional and local operators will be able to adopt DAB+ voluntarily in an initial phase. Each autonomous community can later decide when the technology becomes mandatory for its regional network.
The transition is expected to require changes to signal encoders rather than new transmission infrastructure. DAB+ uses the MPEG-4 HE AAC V2 codec in the 88–108 MHz band, according to the decree’s technical framework.
Listeners with radios that receive only FM or medium wave will need a compatible receiver or an adapter to access DAB+. The decree does not require an immediate change, however, because analogue broadcasts will continue for an unspecified period. EU rules have required new vehicles sold in the bloc to include DAB+ receivers since December 2020.
Compatible receivers can display information such as programme and song titles, station details and images. The technology also supports the Automatic Safety Alert system, which can deliver geographically targeted emergency warnings. Unlike FM, DAB+ reception does not gradually become noisier as the signal weakens, although it can cut out or disappear if coverage falls below a certain level.
Sources: El País Portada.