BBC DAB service now live in west Devon and east Cornwall
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV The new BBC DAB transmitter, live from today, provides coverage for around 20,000 in Tavistock, Princetown for the first time.
The new transmitter also will improve coverage for around 300,000 in west Devon and east Cornwall from Launceston to Plymouth, from Dartmoor to Holsworthy.
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Friday, 4 February 2011
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Richard5:24 AM
Peterborough
I only recently fully grasped the principle behind SFN's (they mutually complement each other's digital coverage, conversely to analogue).
Is that the reason the BBC has so many (150+) low powered DAB transmitters?? Given that Band II/fm services can be carried on around 50 high-powered transmitters (similar to uhf television), I'd always thought the BBC would use a similar model for DAB roll-out??
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Richard5:27 AM
Peterborough
I also wondered, are there any legal or technical restrictions on using Band I/rest of Band III for television again?? Or any other purpose??
Haven't many of the 'alternative uses' that came along in the 80s been discontinued now?? The channel space could be useful for local DAB, or tv service, surely??
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Richard: DAB is designed around many lower powered transmitter, just like the mobile phone networks. Single high power transmitters belong to the olden days.
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Saturday, 5 February 2011
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Richard1:58 AM
Peterborough
Briantist, yes, thanks, I'd already read that page; as you know, Ofcom have updated their plans, so it's a bit out-of-date already.
My point is that to someone else (who's not in the know), it's clear there are plans to sell off Band IV/V frequencies. But then what?? That means there's a finite limit to the number of frequencies/services that could be provided. Ofcom have accepted that everything from 800Mhz should be allocated towards WiMax/3G etc., that then leaves less room for potential new tv services.
My next point is to do with digital radio switchover: what about the range of services on Band II at the moment?? All ILR and BBC stations?? There has been a licensing process to enable new commercial DAB operators, but it's been extremely slow, bureaucratic, and become bogged down by the Digital Economy Act; the franchise areas allocated in 2007/08 are being remapped. This means broadcasters can't go on air yet, and so on, and so on.
I'm just thinking, well, why isn't there any thought to starting these services elsewhere on DAB?? And what about the rest of Band III?? You've also got RSL services out there. They'll need somewhere to go too.
Sorry if I'm not very coherent, but I think even though the regulator surely understands the scale and breadth of the licensing task, it just doesn't seem to be able to put it into practice. Meanwhile, large chunks of available spectrum could be sitting idle and unused...
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Richard2:02 AM
Peterborough
I'm not suggesting reserving the 800Mhz band is a bad idea, far from it. But surely, rather than reduce the number of available frequency slots, couldn't it be possible to make them up elsewhere??
Hence bringing more of Band III into use (or Band I) even.
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