A symposium presented by German State Media Authorities and the University of Applied Sciences in Kaiserslautern suggests that non-proprietary DRM+ transmission technology may be able to share band III (174-230MHz) spectrum with DAB/DAB+ multiplexes and that achieving receiver interoperability might not be as difficult as previously assumed.

A presentation on May 27, 2010, by Professors Andreas Steil, Joachim Lehnerts, and their associates outlined field trial data with DRM+ in band III including mobile reception performance, possible protection ratios for DRM+/DAB, and a preliminary framework for moving forward with an interoperable digital radio environment.

The study comes at a propitious moment, as several European nations currently consider how to accommodate small community broadcasters in a digital radio future where the costs of inclusion in a DAB/DAB+ multiplex may be prohibitive, and where carriage across a given multiplex's entire coverage may not be required or even desirable.

Symposium organizers report that over a hundred German and international participants attended the event.