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Back to Map IndexBritish Isles: BBC DAB - Digital One - Local Multiplexes
The BBC and commercial operators are gradually adding DAB transmitters to the national BBC and Digital One national networks to expand coverage as far as is economically viable.
While the BBC's national VHF/FM radio transmitter networks enjoy approximately 98% population coverage, it is likely to be some years bef re their DAB coverage reaches this figure. However [in 2009] the authorities stated aim was to switch off all national FM transmitters by around 2015, suggesting that full nationwide coverage should be achieved by the DAB network by this time
Economics plays a more important factor in the currently under-utilised commercial Digital One network, so it is unlikely that D1 will be able to attain the almost universal (98%) coverage that would seem to be the aim of the BBC. Due to the laws of dimishing returns; further expensive transmitters would cover increasingly smaller areas of population to a point that, for DAB, the cost of coverage per head of population becomes economically unjustifiable.
In 2005 Ofcom released an additional frequency block in VHF Band III for a further national DAB multiplex. The licence to operate this second national DAB multiplex was wond by a Channel Four Television consortium, but by 2009 the economic downturn had made the business model financially unviable and Channel Four were forced to hand back the licence, so for the time being there will not be a second national DAB multiplex.
In 2005 Ofcom also released a further three frequency blocks for expansion of local DAB multiplexes to provide almost universal coverage in areas already served by major commercial local radio stations.
Note that BBC local radio does not have its own multiplex. BBC local radio stations are carried on the local commercial radio multiplexes by agreement.
| BBC National
Multiplex Coverage Map 2006: |
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 Above: BBC National DAB Radio coverage in 2006 |
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| Commercial
National (Digital One / D1) DAB Coverage Map 2009: |
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 Above: Digital One National DAB
Coverage as in 2009
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| Map Showing The
Commercial Local Multiplexes Operating By 2005: [Note: These commercial multiplexes are obliged by Ofcom to carry the BBC LOCAL RADIO station(s) in their area] |
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 LOCAL DAB MULTIPLEXES LICENCED UP UNTIL 2005 |
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| NOTE ABOUT LOCAL
MULTIPLEXES NOW ON AIR: In addition to the solid areas marked on
the above map, the following areas have now had their local multiplexes
switched on: Cornwall 11B - NOW Cornwall; Plymouth 12A - NOW Plymouth; Reading 12D - NOW Reading & Basingstoke; Nottingham 12C - NOW Nottingham. All now on air. Local
multiplexes have also been
authorised for East
Sussex, Great Yarmouth, Cardigan Bay,
Montgomery, Colwyn Bay, Carlisle, West Cumbria,
Dumfies & South West Scotland and The Borders and will subsequently
come
on air after the usual Ofcom advertisement and awards procedures.
The map above shows the licencing structure up to 2005 and takes advantage of all the spectrum space (frequencies) that had been made available by the government / Ofcom in V.H.F. Band III for DAB radio at that time. Three additional frequency blocks approved by the government / Ofcom in 2005 in the V.H.F. Band III will allow more local services (multiplexes) to be added, and thereby filling in many of the "white areas" that until then had been left with no prospect of a local DAB multiplex - which carry both local commercial stations and the BBC Local Radio station(s) in the area: Ofcom has begun licencing the additional local multiplexes from 2006 onwards. This will provide virtually universal coverage of local DAB broadcasting. The 'white' areas that include Northamptonshire, North Devon, Hereford and Worcester, Somerset, Gloucestershire, North Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, South West Wales, North Wales, Lincolnshire, Shropshire, Western Scotland and Northern Ireland Ofcom have also allocated an additional VHF Band III frequency block to provide one extra national commercial DAB multiplex that may have similar coverage to the existing commercial national multiplex operator, Digital One. |
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EXTERNAL LINKS:
BBC Reception advice BBC Digital Radio BBC Local Radio National Grid Wireless - broadcast / transmission provider to the BBC, formerly BBC Transmission, Crown Castle and now NGW Digital One - National DAB multiplex provider MXR - Regional DAB multiplex privider Arqiva - broadcast / transmission provider to commercial radio and television, formerly ITA then IBA then NTL now Arqiva PURE DIGITAL DAB Ensembles Worldwide Digital Radio Now |
Above: Digital One National DAB Coverage as in 2006