ITU Approves DRM for Tropical Band

Nov 27, 2007 9:40 AM

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Geneva, Switzerland - Nov 27, 2007 - The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations organization for coordination of the use of the radio spectrum, has completed its four-year review and modification of the regulations for the use of the radio spectrum, including broadcasting use. Since 2002, the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) system has been endorsed by the ITU for broadcasting over the world in the long-wave, medium-wave and short-wave frequencies, with the exception of the tropical zone bands. The tropical zone bands are the frequencies near the lower end of the shortwave spectrum that are reserved for domestic (national) broadcasting in countries located roughly in latitudes between 30 degrees North and South, such as Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Egypt, Congo, South Africa, Mexico and Brazil.

At the last World Radiocommunicaton Conference (WRC) of the ITU in Geneva, the conference officially approved DRM in the broadcast spectrum between 3.2MHz and 5.9MHz for domestic coverage in the "tropical zone" countries.

Separately, the DRM Consortium has developed an adaptation of its system to the VHF bands I and II (the old TV and FM bands, respectively). It is currently being field tested and is in the final part of the standardization process. When completed, the DRM system will be available for use up to 108MHz.

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