RF manufacturer Nautel has acquired Digidia, a digital radio technology firm based in France, saying the move adds significant DAB+, DRM and synchronous FM technology to its offerings.
Terms were not made public.
Nautel plans to continue to operate the two businesses as separate entities.
Nautel highlighted Digidia’s expertise in high-power electronics design and digital signal processing, saying it has “rare design knowledge” in DAB+ and DRM.
Digidia also has been involved in specialized projects such as a highway system in central France using synchronous FM on 107.7 MHz with TDF, a DAB tunnel project in Hong Kong and projects to provide radio reception in various European mountain tunnels.
Digidia was founded in 2005 and is a member of the WorldDAB Consortium. Its product line includes specialized digital radio gear such as multiplexers, content servers, modulators and IP gateways. Nautel said Digidia products are used in some 300 digital radio deployments.
Nautel is headquartered in Nova Scotia, Canada, and with a significant facility in Maine. It has about 200 employees. Digidia has about 13, which Nautel said it expects to grow.
“Digidia will continue as a separate entity, serving its customers out of its fully integrated design and manufacturing facility in Rennes, France,” Nautel announced. “Former shareholders Hermann Zensen, Manuel Billot and Damien Bernard will remain as executives for the two companies.”
CEO Pascal Olivier was also part of ownership; Nautel said he now departs at his preference after taking an active role in the sale process.
The announcement was made by Nautel President/CEO Kevin Rodgers and Digidia Sales Manager Hermann Zensen. Rodgers said with this acquisition, Nautel “is underlining its commitment to all major digital radio transmission standards.”
