Back in March of 2021, the Irish state broadcaster RTÉ announced that their DAB digital radio service was ceasing. More details in my previous post HERE
It has just been announced that a new DAB+ trial will commence in the east of Ireland in the late Spring of 2025. This time, the trial is being conducted by a company called Foothold Communications under a ComReg DAB+ trial license.
In the press release, Stephen Foley, Managing Director of Foothold Communications said... “Today marks a major milestone in Irish broadcasting as we work alongside ComReg to develop DAB+ services. With 80% of radio listening happening in vehicles, and all cars sold in Ireland since 2021 equipped with DAB+ as standard, the time is right to expand and enhance this technology to reach a wider audience. We appreciate the opportunity to roll out this critical DAB+ service, which aligns with Ireland’s Broadcasting Services Strategy. This trial will showcase the immense potential of digital audio broadcasting for both listeners and broadcasters.”
According to their website, the licence from COMREG for the DAB+ trial will operate for 1 year from the April 2025. They go on to state... "It is intended that user feedback along with in depth analysis, will give useful user experience and technical information to aid in the process of future licensing of DAB+ in Ireland."
Analysis... The coverage area is shown on the map above and the black dots show the associated 6 transmission sites with high power assignments. A 20kw transmitter in Three Rock will cover Dublin, along with a number of 8kw and 10kw sites, giving coverage along the east coast.
This area covers the capital Dublin and the surrounding counties with an estimated population of about 2-million people.
It's a surprise to me to see the re-appearance of DAB radio in Ireland and it'll be interesting to see what the interest will be like. I think most people thought the DAB wouldn't reappear for a very long time.
For a lot of people, they no longer listen to actual radios but get the programmes instead via smart speakers and apps. Why go to the trouble of tuning into DAB+ when you can just stream the service online instead.
On the other hand, a lot of new cars in Ireland have DAB+ in their entertainment systems and it's no great effort to do a scan and find the new signals. There are a lot of stores which are common to both the UK and Ireland and DAB radios often appear in Ireland even though there were no signals.
There is very little information at the moment as to who will be on the platform for the trail and as always, content is king. So far, Radio Nova and Classic Hits Radio have expressed an interest in taking part in the trial.
At least this time, the trial will be on a commercial basis and it will show if there is a demand for a DAB+ service in Ireland.
Links...
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