Starwaves and Fraunhofer IIS announced an Android app that allows reception of Digital Radio Mondiale transmissions on mobile devices, when used in conjunction with an RF dongle.
“Starwaves enables Android phones and tablets to receive entertainment, text information and emergency warnings via DRM Digital Radio — without costly data plans, independent from cell phone network availability, and based on innovative Fraunhofer technology,” Starwaves said in its announcement.
The company noted that it has been active in DRM radio receivers for years. Johannes von Weyssenhoff is founder of Starwaves, which was founded in Germany in 2005 and subsequently moved to Switzerland. Its early products included Starwaves Prelude, a DRM-DAB receiver, and Carbox, an automotive DRM-DAB with analog shortwave. The company was also involved in Africa’s first DRM trial in the FM band in South Africa.
[Related: “Sinclair, Fraunhofer Will Integrate DRM in ATSC 3.0”]
The new app provides listeners with access to the DRM digital radio standard, across all transmission bands from DRM on longwave to FM band and VHF band-III. The app is available on the Google and Amazon Android app stores.
The app supports DRM features like Emergency Warning Functionality, image slideshows, station logos, and service descriptions including Unicode support.
“To provide all these services, the app only requires a standard off-the-shelf SDR RF dongle that is attached to the device’s USB port,” it said.
DRM’s largest market is India, where it is heard on mediumwave and has recently been tested for possible use on the FM band. The DRM Consortium recently concluded its General Assembly, which also reported on projects in Indonesia and Pakistan as well as a DRM trial on FM in Russia and another on shortwave in Brazil.
