Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) says its non-proprietary digital radio technology specifically designed for deployment in the VHF band is currently taking place in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Known as DRM+ and sponsored by the State Centre for Media and Communication and the University of Kaiserslautern, the latest tests are designed to gather data on system performance at the higher VHF frequencies that lie within Europe's Band III (174 - 230MHz).

The technology has previously been tested successfully on Band II (87.5 - 108MHz).

DRM+ was developed for application in bands where wide band analog FM has traditionally reigned, maintaining existing channels and bandwidth specifications to simplify transition. Use of the technology has been advanced as a possible stand-alone digital broadcast platform where the cost of carriage on DAB Eureka 147 multiplexes might prove prohibitive, as in the case of smaller, localized stations.

Standards for DRM+ were approved last year by the European Standards Organization (ETSI). Results of the current tests are due to be published later this spring.