With 2009 being a big year for digital radio, the first of the DAB+ radio transmitters needed to make the format work, has arrived in Sydney.Sixteen DAB+ digital radio transmitters are now in Australia and are being installed in transmitter halls at the various tower sites in the five state capital launch cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth in preparation for the Australian digital radio launch in May 2009.

Other DAB+ infrastructure, including monitors and multiplexes, have arrived in Australia and the new antennas are under construction in Melbourne. All the elements are currently being configured for the highly efficient new digital radio network.
Australia will have one of the most spectrum efficient and sophisticated digital radio networks in the world.

“This new digital infrastructure will allow Australians to listen to dynamic, multi-faceted digital radio and is an investment by the industry in the future of radio,” said CRA chief executive officer, Joan Warner. 

The DAB+ infrastructure will allow broadcasters to offer Australian listeners more stations, digital quality sound, a pause and rewind facility, plus a new informative visual aspect to radio with the introduction of scrolling news, sport and weather text and the ability to transmit a picture of a radio host, the cover of a CD, a product picture or an animated logo on screen.

Following the installation of the transmitters, two rigging teams will start installing the DAB+ antennas onto a broadcast tower in each of the five launch cities. The infrastructure build will continue throughout the summer in preparation for the launch next year.