The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is likely to adopt digital audio broadcasting (DAB) technology for digital radio in Thailand.
DAB technology is used for radio broadcasting in Australia and several European countries.
DAB+ is the latest version, and a study by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) said DAB+ was a realistic option for Thailand.
The new version has been available in Asia-Pacific for five years and is the market leader in the region.
Some 1.4 million receivers with DAB+ have been sold in the region, a 16% penetration rate.
DAB is the older version of the technology widely used in Europe for more than 15 years. Some 17.5 million receivers with DAB have been sold here, a 46% penetration rate.
The ITU study said DAB+ receivers are commercially available on a wide range of products and at lower prices, ranging from 1,000 to 19,000 baht each. Their price enables embedding of multimedia receivers.
The 174-230-megahertz frequency (VHF Band III), which is currently imposed for TV broadcasts, will be reserved for digital radio.
The digital radio roadmap comprises Plan A for the short term and Plan B for the long term. Plan A is scheduled to launch trial services by the year-end.
The coverage area in the 10 most populous cities will have 40-50 services, targeting 40% of the Thai population. Preparation and assigning of regular licences will be mentioned in Plan A.
The long-term Plan B is where regular licensing will take place when the analogue switch-off of VHF Band III happens (after best practices management is determined during the planning horizon of 2012-16).
The frequency plan for Plan A was completed by imposing three radio networks with 27-54 national audio services. While Plan B is in progress, the network will cover 95% of the nation using four networks.
In the second stage, it will provide an additional 36-72 local services in 39 local areas located at the same sites as digital terrestrial TV sites in order to reduce consumer confusion and infrastructure costs.
The regulatory regime for digital radio will be the same as for digital TV regulations, comprising facility providers, network providers and service providers.
While the plans are pending NBTC approval, the regulator is also in the process of frequency value evaluation in preparation for commercial radio station auctions.
Chulalongkorn University's economics faculty is handling the frequency evaluation project.