DAB Datacasting
Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) is a digital multi-media broadcast operation that employs digital radio capacity to transmit multi-media content, such as news, sports and entertainment, to handheld devices such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants or PDAs.Digital Audio Broadcasting will eventually replace current analog radio. DAB advocates technology that allows CD-quality sound to be transmitted digitally along with text and other data, using terrestrial transmitters. Digital Audio Broadcasting is a "push" technology originally developed as part of a collaborative research program known as the Eureka 147 Project.<p> The benefits of DAB compared to conventional analog AM and FM services is that DAB, when fully deployed, may deliver high-quality audio similar to that of CDs to mobile and portable receivers, which typically experience greater reception difficulties compared to stationary receivers. And listeners will not have to change frequency whilst traveling. Whereas analog devices suffer from interference due to high congestion and multipath multiplication. Another innovative aspect DAB is it's ability to transfer text and graphics, including Internet pages, as well as audio.<p> DAB technology has the capacity to deliver high volume multimedia content, simultaneously to reception locations. The simultaneous nature of DAB datacasting allows fixed distribution costs, irrespective of the number of receivers.<p> DAB provides a range of new multi-media features including a variety of textual or graphic data to their music programming, including advertising and lyrics for "karaoke" applications. DAB datacasting will be capable of delivering newspapers and faxes, traffic, weather and financial information can also be supplied in this way either as text or as speech generated from text. As providers explore the enormous potential of this new media, we will see DAB used for file transfer and software or database updates. Internet providers will display HTML encoded information, and interactive applications will also appear, using a back-channel for feedback, quiz games, etc. Selected information can be stored in the DAB receiver for later retrieval. The concept will boom when DAB digital radio chips are incorporated into mobile devices.<p> Two types of DAB systems are currently in use: Eureka 147 DAB in Europe, and IBOC DAB in the U.S. The most advanced system, both with regard to deployment and to the features offered, is probably the European Eureka 147 system, which is operating commercially in Australia as well as Europe, Singapore, Taiwan, and Canada.<p>
1. Thomson, V. (1997) Byte.com - web and radio broadcasting [on-line] Available at: http://www.byte.com/art/9712/sec17/art2.htm Accessed October 12, 2004.<p> 2. Rohde & Schwarz (2004) DAB audio broadcasting - background [on-line] Available at: http://www.rohde-schwarz.com/www/dev_center.nsf/html/114212 Accessed: October 12, 2004.<p> 3. Wallage, S. (2002) The Feature: can mobile operators save DAB [on-line] Available at: http://www.thefeature.com/article?articleid=14799 Accessed: October 12, 2004.<p> 4. RadioScape Bolsters DAB Broadcast Platform (2004) Wireless News. Coventry: Sep 6, 2004. [on-line] Available at: http://proquest.umi.com.gateway.library.qut.edu.au/pqdweb?index=11&did=000000688696731&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1098938113&clientId=14394 Accessed: October 12, 2004.<p>
Amy Harbrow 14:47, 28 Oct 2004 (EST)