As discussions continue about a legislative draft overhauling broadcasting in the country, Indonesia is moving forward with efforts to bring digital radio to more of the country.
Already DAB+ and DRM in the FM, VHF band III, and medium-wave spectrums are being used on a trial basis, and the draft law calls for a wider transition to digital radio in 2028.
On Oct. 8–9, Kominfo, the Indonesian Ministry of Communications, Information and Technology, organized a digital radio workshop to explore the technology and connect broadcasters, regulators, and manufacturers across the archipelago.
During the meeting, the DRM Consortium provided an overview of the use of DRM technology on both AM and VHF bands. In particular, the presenters highlighted the technology’s use for emergency warnings, public signage, distance learning, and traffic information.
RF2Digital used the event to debut its new receiver module that supports seamless switching between DRM and DAB+ in VHF band III, a solution developed for the Indonesian market. Other digital radio receiver solutions where shown by CML and Gospell, along with SoftRadio from Starwaves and Fraunhofer IIS that uses a dongle to convert an Android-based smartphone into a digital radio receiver.
The legislative debate over the migration to digital radio in 2028 has included discussion of the need to get new receivers capable of tuning digital radio to market.
According to a report from EMedia DPR RI, the Parliamentary News Center, lawmakers are concerned that a rush to broadcast digital signals will not be met by consumers having an ability to receive them, especially as streaming is increasing used to tune radio broadcasts.
