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A Discussion Paper on
Digital Radio Broadcasting in Australia

Coverage

Coverage opportunities

DRB services could be configured to match existing coverage areas and Eureka 147 technology also presents opportunities to create new coverage patterns, terrestrially and via satellite, in response to consumer demand.

AM and FM radio services are expanding. Universal service coverage is a goal of national broadcasting, and the ABC and SBS have extended their services progressively to reach more Australians within their budgetary constraints. Other broadcasters operate within licence areas established by the ABA, and the number and range of services are being extended throughout Australia.

In some metropolitan areas, topographical and other features can cause interference or prevent adequate reception. These pockets of poor reception are likely to remain a feature of analog services given the high costs or lack of available frequencies to add 'in-fill' transmitters. In rural and remote areas, the expansion of radio services is limited by cost.

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Coverage opportunities
Eureka 147 was originally conceived to provide common programs over large areas. Common programming could be delivered throughout metropolitan areas by single frequency networks, and to regional and remote areas by satellite. Eureka 147 technology also allows wide coverage areas and lower cost 'in-fill' coverage, and the use of multiple transmitters permits shaping of coverage to better match the intended service area. This raises the possibility of new coverage areas, such as those that follow highways.

Despite the opportunities afforded by digital technology, it seems unlikely that all Australians would be provided with the same choice of DRB services. The extent of DRB coverage and the number of services each community would receive would depend upon the costs of, and technical difficulties associated with, providing and operating services.

In major metropolitan areas, broadcasters would be likely to provide DRB services that meet the audience's expectations for improved sound quality and reception, and associated data services. Also, it might be possible to increase the number of services.

DRB coverage is related to the strength of the multiplex transmitter, so every broadcaster using the same multiplex has more or less the same coverage area. This could overcome coverage differences that currently exist in metropolitan areas between different broadcasters operating from different transmitter sites.

If all services were constrained to operate from the same transmission sites, there may be difficulties for broadcasters who prefer smaller licence areas. Initial studies suggest that suburban type, smaller coverage transmissions could be accommodated within the framework of wide area coverage, if there were sufficient spectrum. However, the costs would be relatively high unless there were several services interested in providing the same limited coverage. Experimental work is being undertaken overseas on varying coverage areas for services using the same Eureka 147 transmitter. It may be possible to deliver Eureka 147 services effectively to provincial cities and suburban areas, as well as metropolitan areas.

In regional areas, to approximate existing AM and FM coverage, it would be necessary to establish in each area at least one multiplex capable of providing five high quality services or a greater number of lower quality services. If all the channels were utilised, this would mean many Australians would have access to a greater number and possibly a greater diversity of services, than they do now. However, if existing coverage areas changed, this may mean a reduction in the possible range of services some communities currently receive.

In some regional and many remote areas of Australia, the introduction of DRB services would appear to be more problematic. In areas where analog services are transmitted using high-powered AM and FM transmitters, it would only be possible for DRB to duplicate existing coverage areas by constructing a greater number of transmission facilities than is required for analog services. Also, duplication of existing large AM and FM coverage areas may be difficult using the DRB frequencies in the L-band, without using several transmitters at various sites (operating on the same or different frequencies). However, Eureka 147 technology does allow for relatively inexpensive 'in-fill' transmitters.

There may be areas, especially in rural and remote Australia, where DRB coverage may initially be less than existing AM and FM services. In these cases, it would be possible for a combined AM/FM/DRB receiver to switch transparently between DRB and AM/FM services so there would be no overall loss of radio services.

Satellite delivered DRB offers another option. Satellite DRB delivery has the ability to increase the number of services to all Australians, not only those in remote areas. The use of satellite transmission compatible with terrestrial technology would make national, State and large regional coverage areas possible to a greater extent than at present. Eureka 147 also allows mobile reception of satellite signals.

However, while the introduction of satellite services and the use of receivers for reception of both satellite and terrestrial transmissions could facilitate the adoption of DRB throughout Australia, the costs could be very high.

DRB services delivered with in-band technology would generally duplicate existing analog services.

Comment is invited on:

• the coverage of DRB services; the extent to which they should duplicate analog service coverage; and the pursuit of the opportunities afforded by DRB to provide different coverage patterns;
• whether the present approach to licence areas is appropriate for DRB; and
• whether any particular policies need to be established to provide for DRB coverage in regional and remote areas.

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• Document ID: 9361 |
• Last modified: 6 February 2008, 2:24pm