London - Feb 19, 2013 - Digital One has applied to Ofcom to extend the U.K.'s national DAB mux to Northern Ireland, according to RadioToday. If expansion of this network is approved, national stations such as Smooth Radio, Planet Rock, and Jazz FM would become available there on terrestrial radio for the first time.

Digital One is proposing coverage of Northern Ireland using six transmitters (Divis, Carnmoney Hill, Londonderry, Brougher Mountain, Strabane and Limavady). These transmitters will provide indoor coverage to 74 percent of households, and 70 percent of the road network in Northern Ireland. It says that it will launch all of these transmitters within six months of Ofcom granting its request.

The addition of this coverage would result in the national radio multiplex service providing coverage of 89.5 percent of the households in the United Kingdom, and 75 percent of the UK's road network.