Audio Quality on DAB Stereo Stations Around the World

Countries where DAB is being promoted

The following table shows the stereo bit rates used in the countries where DAB is being promoted — there is either very little interest in DAB in the other countries, or they have already decided not to use the old DAB system and they're waiting to use the new DAB standard to arrive in 2007.

Bear in mind that to match FM's audio quality a bit rate of 224 kbps must be used due to DAB using the out-of-date MP2 audio codec.

However, the table below doesn't include the growing problem of music stations being transmitted in mono on DAB in the UK.

All countries

1 - Canada is currently assessing 3 proposals for subscription-based digital radio services, the outcome of which will determine whether Canada continues to use DAB or not
2 - Finland has decided not to continue transmitting DAB in future

Data from http://www.wohnort.demon.co.uk/DAB/

The above table just includes bit rates of 128kbps and above because these are the bit rates used for stereo music stations. Therefore, the above table quite accurately displays the level of audio quality (see the Bit Rate vs Quality page to see what level of audio quality equates to what bit rate) that is provided for music stations with the higher the average bit rate the better the overall audio quality is on the music stations, and vice versa.

This clearly shows that the UK implementation of DAB is the worst DAB implementation in the world. No less than 98% of all stereo radio stations in the UK use 128kbps. The reason for the mass of stations all using 128 kbps is that the Radio Authority (now part of Ofcom) set the minimum bit rate for stereo stations to be 128kbps. Compare this with DAB in Germany where the German organisation ARD recommend that stereo stations use bit rates of 192kbps or above. Not all German stations use 192kbps or above, but only 12% of stereo stations use the insufficient bit rate of 128kbps, compared to 98% in the UK. This clearly shows up how the UK regulator, the Radio Authority (now part of Ofcom), has failed the UK general public.

This clearly shows what a national disgrace the UK DAB implementation is.

Comparison of DAB Bit Rates Used Around the World

Updated 19/3/05

Updated 19/3/05 (some individual countries' figures may be updated since this date without the Totals being re-calculated)
1 - Canada is currently assessing 3 proposals for subscription-based digital radio services, the outcome of which will determine whether Canada continues to use DAB or not
2 - Finland has decided not to continue transmitting DAB in future

Data from http://www.wohnort.demon.co.uk/DAB/

The number in each cell of the table is the number of stations that transmit with the bit rate at the top of that column. For example, there are 327 stations in the UK that transmit at 128 kbps, and there are 84 stations in Germany that use 192 kbps.

This shows that the UK implementation of DAB has undoubtedly the lowest bit rates and, therefore, with the lowest audio quality in the world.