| Regional Radio Conference 2006 (RRC-06)27th June 2006 The Regional Radio Conference 2006 (RRC-06) is the conclusion of a major spectrum re-planning exercise for Bands III (used for DAB and TV), IV and V (used for TV). The RRC-06 culminated in the drawing up of a new spectrum plan for these bands, which is now referred to as GE-06, which stands for Geneva 2006. This plan, which is meant to facilitate the move from analogue to digital broadcasting of TV and radio, replaces the previous Stockholm Plan, which was drawn up in 1961 - these plans are meant to last over the very long-term... The results are available, but they're not available in a user-friendly form yet. But if you really want to have a look at the results then you can download a very large database and a very large piece of software that allows you to display the allocations (I wouldn't recommend it, because it's very slow and laborious to use): RRC-06 allocations database (58 MB) RRC-06 allocations display software (211 MB)
Main UK Results for DABThe UK currently uses the following Band III channels for DAB:
At RRC-06 the UK has acquired the use of 4 additional channels: 10B, 10C, 10D and 11A, and channels 5A and 5C are also used, but only for multiplexes in Suffolk and Jersey, respectively (these channels are not used for DAB anywhere else in the UK). The main changes resulting from RRC-06 for DAB in the UK are as follows: 1 new national commercial DAB multiplex on channel 11AAs expected, there will be 1 new national commercial DAB multiplex. Ofcom said that there was an outside chance of getting spectrum for 2 new national commercial DAB multiplexes, but they have failed to acquire this spectrum. Note, however, that there will be little coverage in Kent, the South Coast and East Anglia due to interference issues with neighbouring countries. Transmitter powers change from outside mobile to indoor portable This means that transmitter powers will be able to be increased, because transmitter powers were originally planned on the basis of outdoor mobile reception, and indoor portable reception requires higher transmitter powers due to the building penetration loss (i.e. the strength of the radio signal travelling through walls and windows is reduced). This will improve the reception quality for many people that currently suffer from poor DAB reception - now they will be able to receive the low audio quality on DAB without reception problems... Local DAB multiplexes for areas that don't already have one Channels 10B, 10C and 10D will be used to provide local DAB multiplexes that don't already have them, and channels 5A and 5C will be used for local multiplexes in Suffolk and Jersey, respectively. The allocations for new local DAB multiplexes for areas that don't already have one are as follows:
Ofcom produced the following map, which shows the existing and proposed local and regional DAB multiplex areas, and presumably this is what they have managed to achieve:
Additional local / regional DAB multiplexes There will also be second regional DAB multiplexes for the North West (channel 10C) and the North East (channel 10D), and there will be a second local DAB multiplex in Edinburgh (channel 10D). Overall Picture The overall picture as far as the number of multiplexes that can be received is as follows:
The only exception to the above is Edinburgh, which will have 2 local DAB multiplexes.
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