Digital Sound Broadcasting

In September of this year, the Brazilian Government authorized the introduction of the digital technology for the sound broadcasting service. In that sense, Anatel granted the firsts authorization for operational tests involving digital sound broadcasting systems for FM and MW stations.

The authorizations were granted to the following stations:

These stations requested to carry out the tests with the IBOC system (In-Band On-Channel) – developed by iBiquity, that uses the same frequency of the analog system – with the aim to evaluate performance of the digital system for FM and MW stations, considering aspects as audio quality, coverage area and robustness regarding noise, interference and multipath effects.

It is also going to evaluate the compatibility between digital and existing analog signals, through the impact of the digital signal in the reception of the analog signal transmitted simultaneously; the impact of the digital signal in the reception of analog signal in the same channel and adjacent channels; and the compatibility of the coverage area. The tests will be useful to obtain parameters to evaluate which system is applied more appropriately to the characteristics of each place, taken into account buildings and topography.

Further information regarding to these tests can be found at Anatel’s web site: http://www.anatel.gov.br.

National Telecommunications Agency
ANATEL