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Mosfet
2nd January 2003, 12:24
New digital radio trials using L-Band
London trial multiplex moves to promising new frequency band

20/Dec/2002

Broadcast Radio group has started a new DAB trial multiplex in London - but with a difference. This is ntl's first foray into terrestrial DAB on L-Band (1452-1492 MHz) which is being vacated by fixed broadcast links. Digital radio is currently in Band III at around 200 MHz.



The trial will initially be from two sites - Croydon plus a rooftop location in Leicester Square courtesy of Capital Radio. The purpose of the trial is twofold:


1. So that ntl has a platform to continue to develop DAB products and services on a 'test & development' basis (our existing Band III testbed has had to be switched off).



2. So that Spectrum Planning have a "live" network which can be used to further develop our initial service planning tool for L-band - especially in an urban environment.


The Radio Authority and Radcomms Agency are fully supportive of the trial as they wish to promote the use of T-DAB on L-band which has 25 frequency channels available for terrestrial use. Current Band III frequencies are already running out as more regional and local services are introduced. Satellite-based DAB is also allocated seven frequencies for future use.


An advantage of L-Band is that the small antenna size is much more suitable for mobile devices.


David Peters in Broadcast Radio is keen to thank to Jamie Broughton, Mark Sutcliffe, Jeff Smith, Clive Crouch, Ian Askin, Rob Bluett and all others involved in getting this project up and running in such a short time after funds were approved.



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:confused: :confused:

Mike
2nd January 2003, 17:58
Many of the DAB recievers on the market currently dont have L-Band indeed some dont even cover the whole of band 3

Megawatts
3rd January 2003, 16:58
So we can now get BBC Radio 4, Long Wave, and the all talk services in ever more places... and the music based services, with their reduced bit rate. sounding cruddy, warbely.. and all over band 2, Band 3, and the L-Band.. and where will the Irish DAB service be...

Mike
3rd January 2003, 18:12
Irish DAB services ???

Cold day in hell

Justin Speck
4th January 2003, 20:00
The L-Band allocations were set out at the Maastricht 2002 conference. Mostly they are for smaller areas than the Band III allocations although some of them could be completely within Band III areas I guess.

Hence, no you won't be getting Radio 4 in yet more places:)

There was (is?) an L-band trial at Crystal Palace too I think. Not sure what was actually being broadcast on it.

There are some dual band receivers around but they are somewhat more expensive than Band III only sets. There is a version of the VideoLogic DRX601 which can receive both bands - and can display foreign character sets too (for about twice the price!).

Think I'll stick with my trusty old Sony ICF7600 for the time being! Lots of DAB services now avilable in my area - sadly few of which I would want to listen to (even if they did offer a decent 192k) :(

J