Rethink on FM switchover is good news say engineers
Communications minister Ed Vaizey has signalled that both traditional FM and new Digital Audio Broadcasting signals will remain operating in tandem for the foreseeable future as a result.
Prof Will Stewart, Chair of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Communications Policy Panel, said: “It is good for this to be recognised in the light of buoyant FM sales and the ability of FM to provide near-universal coverage.
“We need to have a debate about the best kind of digital radio, or perhaps let many kinds compete. Television is delivered through many different digital channels (Freeview, satellite, cable, internet and more) and increasingly so is radio, with non-DAB digital sources including the internet rising fast, including non-traditional 'radio' like music streaming. A plethora of technologies, including ones on mobile devices may be the best answer.
“If we need traditional all-listen-to-the-same broadcasting at all (debatable) then we should either just use FM which is cheap and effective or at least never again go for a UK-only standard like DAB. Probably the internet is the answer.”
