tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21098869.post9040388253628651591..comments2024-03-28T13:48:12.219+00:00Comments on Alan in Belfast: Extra DAB radio stations coming to Northern Ireland - Digital One licence extendedAlan in Belfast (Alan Meban)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04647690758839987063noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21098869.post-28636520057228453972015-05-31T19:56:11.686+01:002015-05-31T19:56:11.686+01:00I live in Warrenpoint. Would anyone know if there ...I live in Warrenpoint. Would anyone know if there are any plans to improve the DAB coverage in South Down, eg from the Camlough Transmitter outside Newry or the Rostrevor Mountain transmitter? Still no Radio Ulster or commercial stations on DAB in this area unless one goes to great lengths, eg climb a mountain ! Is the lack of DAB coverage related to the fact that both of aforementioned transmitters are only Freeview Light, that is the fact that those in control have no plans to spend more money upgrading the TV services also means they have no plans to spend money on the DAB coverage?<br /><br />Thanks<br /><br />Pat<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21098869.post-20083870267093521332013-07-23T11:56:23.939+01:002013-07-23T11:56:23.939+01:00when DAB originally launched here I queried with t...when DAB originally launched here I queried with the UK DAB people why we were getting shafted, they said RTE had a hold on some of the frequencies used for DAB here (they used different TV frequencies to us I believe which may have infringed?) so until that stranglehold was released there was no bandwidth.....so we got stuck with FM on DAB basically.....thank goodness this has changed can't wait for Team Rock Radio and Planet Rock this Friday!seatzienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21098869.post-3438236167644091872013-05-19T08:36:37.919+01:002013-05-19T08:36:37.919+01:00ThanksThanksAlan in Belfast (Alan Meban)https://www.blogger.com/profile/04647690758839987063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21098869.post-91234595190896153402013-05-19T02:35:11.202+01:002013-05-19T02:35:11.202+01:00As far as I can tell the original reason appears n...As far as I can tell the original reason appears not to be because of a lack of frequency but because of respecting international frequency planning protocols.<br /><br />The first national commecial DAB multiplex awarded to Digital One is transmitted on block 11D.<br /><br />ROI had some rights to use all of VHF Channel 11 under certain conditions, and in fact only used it once for a brief period of low power transmission of RTE2 from Kippure.<br /><br />Until the ROI had formalized its plans for the future use of the Channel 11 frequency range in the post analog TV era, it was therefore not possible to start broadcasts on 11D at the time that the Digital One licence was awarded.<br /><br />The ROI's intentions of the use or not of the Channel 11 frequencies have at some point in the last few years have been made official announced in consultation with neighboring states inluding UKofGB&NI.<br /><br />Now because of the Digital Economy Act of 2010, OfCom now has the legal authority to extend the licence of the first commercial multiplex to include Northern Ireland and not have to offer it as a separate licence.<br /><br />Section 35 at<br /><br />http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/24<br /><br />which removes the legal restriction from the Broadcasting Act of 1996 which prevented the geographic enlargment of the a licence already issued for the national commercial multiplex(es) <br /><br />QUOTE<br /><br />After section 54 of the Broadcasting Act 1996 insert—<br />“54AVariation of radio multiplex licences: frequency or licensed area<br /><br />(1)OFCOM may, if the requirements of subsections (3) to (5) are met, vary a national radio multiplex licence by extending the area in which the licensed service is required to be available. <br /><br />UNQUOTE<br /><br />So because of international cooperation agreements on frequency planning and legal restrictions on the originally issued licence, even though the frequencies were not being used, they could not be used for Digital One until now ;+)<br /><br />Now you may appreciate why often it takes years or even decades for anything to get done at the national or international level ...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21098869.post-66703406385919595172013-05-18T10:16:05.264+01:002013-05-18T10:16:05.264+01:00Thanks for the clarification. So why was NI origi...Thanks for the clarification. So why was NI originally excluded from the national multiplex licence? It could only have been for some kind of (non-FM) frequency unavailability?Alan in Belfast (Alan Meban)https://www.blogger.com/profile/04647690758839987063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21098869.post-7722568321494849742013-05-18T02:34:16.761+01:002013-05-18T02:34:16.761+01:00In fact the reason why Digital One is now extendin...In fact the reason why Digital One is now extending service into Northern Ireland is because the Digital Economy Act of 2010 deregulated the commercial multiplex allocation for Northern Ireland.<br /><br />Digital One therefore applied for a license to extend service on those frequencies and after the usual sham public consultation, then awarded the service to Digital One, who was, as far as I am aware, the only applicant.<br /><br />See <br /><br />http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/extending-dab-services-NI/summaryAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21098869.post-36111306358622297772013-05-18T02:16:04.065+01:002013-05-18T02:16:04.065+01:00"Due to frequency constraints – avoiding inte..."Due to frequency constraints – avoiding interference with frequencies already crowded with FM stations in the north and south – the national commercial multiplex was not licenced to operate in Northern Ireland"<br /><br />FM Radio is broadcast on the VHF Band II range 87.5 MHz - 108 MHz and DAB is broadcast on a completely different frequency range in VHF Band III.<br /><br />So overcrowding in the "FM" band is totally irrelevant to the frequencies available with respect to the Digital One not previously being licensed in Northern Ireland.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com