11 December 2007
ACMA invites applications for multiplex transmitter licences for digital radio
The Australian Communications and Media Authority is calling for applications for licences to operate digital radio multiplexes in each state capital city. There will be two multiplexes in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and one multiplex in Adelaide, Hobart and Perth. The multiplex licences are for the digital transmission of wide-coverage commercial and community radio services.
‘This is an important step toward the commencement of digital radio services in January 2009,’ said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman.
ACMA has completed the digital radio channel plans for each of the areas and declared the proposed digital radio multiplex licences as ‘foundation’ licences, making them available, by application, to incumbent broadcasters.
Applications for the foundation category 1 digital radio multiplex transmitter licences may only be made by eligible joint venture companies in accordance with provisions of the Radiocommunications Act 1992. Such joint venture companies may be jointly controlled by the incumbent commercial radio broadcasters and a company representing the incumbent wide-coverage community radio broadcasters for each licence area. The companies have 150 days to apply for the licences. If a licence is not issued as a result of the notice inviting applications, ACMA may allocate the licence by way of price-based allocation.
The ABC and SBS may apply at any time for a category 3 digital radio multiplex transmitter licence following the creation of a joint company to operate the multiplex transmitter.
The licence invitation notice is available on the ACMA website.
The closing date for applications for foundation category 1 digital radio multiplex transmitter licences is 9 May 2008.
The Digital Radio Channel Plans are on the ACMA website.
For more information, contact Alastair Gellatly, Manager Broadcast Spectrum Strategy Section on 02 6219 5246.
Media contact Donald Robertson, ACMA Media Manager on (02) 9334 7980.
Backgrounder
The initial roll-out of digital radio will be based on the Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) technology. Additional legislation may be required if alternative technologies are identified as being more appropriate for regional Australia. To this end the legislation provides for a review, by 2011, into digital radio technologies most appropriate for regional areas.
Other elements of the digital radio legislation include:
- the provision of the first digital radio services by commercial and wide-coverage community radio broadcasting licensees and the national broadcasters
- a new multiplex transmitter licence category to accommodate the shared transmission platforms (‘multiplexes’) of the DAB system
- facilitation of the planning for and licensing of digital radio services by ACMA
- a requirement for multiplex licensees to commence and continue to provide digital radio services—in the case of the state capital city markets on or before 1 January 2009
- the opportunity for existing commercial and wide-coverage community broadcasters to control the multiplex licences for their initial services, with subsequent licence allocations to be undertaken via a priced-based method
- a six-year moratorium on the issue of new licence area planned commercial digital radio licences from the commencement of services in the relevant market
- minimum access rights to multiplex transmission capacity for the commercial, wide-coverage community and national broadcasters on relevant multiplex licences
- a multiplex access regime to ensure operators of multiplexes provide access to transmission capacity on terms that are open, efficient and generally non-discriminatory, to be overseen by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and
- power for ACMA to determine, if necessary, technical and industry standards relating to digital radio and restricted datacasting services.
The legislated start-up date for digital radio is 1 January 2009. By completing the digital radio channel plans, frequency allotment plan and digital channel plan variation on time, ACMA aims to meet this date.
Digital radio services will initially operate in the VHF Band III (174 – 230 MHz), although the use of additional spectrum such as L-band (1452 – 1492 MHz) or ‘channel 13’ (230 – 240 MHz) will be considered at a later stage, as will planning for transmission repeater sites.
Although a standard has not been formally set, industry has announced they intend to implement the services using the new DAB+ standard which gives scope to licensees to provide additional services and enhanced features.
Digital radio licences
There are three categories of digital radio licence.
A category 1 digital radio multiplex transmitter licence provides for the transmission of any or all of the following services:
- one or more digital commercial radio broadcasting services
- one or more digital community radio broadcasting services, and
- one or more restricted datacasting services.
A category 2 digital radio multiplex transmitter licence provides for the transmission of any or all of the following services:
- one or more digital commercial radio broadcasting services
- one or more digital community radio broadcasting services
- one or more digital national radio broadcasting services, and
- one or more restricted datacasting services.
A category 3 digital radio multiplex transmitter licence provides for the transmission of:
- one or more digital national radio broadcasting services, and
- one or more restricted datacasting services, where each relevant restricted datacasting licence is held by a national broadcaster.
Frequency Allotment Plan
ACMA has varied the Frequency Allotment Plan to cater for digital radio by adding a new schedule providing for either two or three new channels to be available for digital radio services in each state capital.
Digital Television Channel Plan
ACMA has also varied the North Coast NSW digital television channel plan to free up spectrum for Brisbane digital radio services. The channel planning for the Brisbane services indicated that interference could result to a planned but unused channel 9A Richmond/Tweed digital television or datacasting service, and that the service would also be likely to cause interference to digital radio services in Brisbane. To prevent this interference from occurring, the television digital channel plan has been varied by substituting channel 42 for channel 9A at Richmond/Tweed.
Digital radio legislation
The Australian Government announced its policy framework for the introduction of digital radio services in October 2005. That framework was implemented by the Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Digital Radio) Act 2007.
