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DRM BES 2023 Highlights

DRM BES 2023 Highlights

The DRM Consortium (www.drm.org) participated in the BES Conference and Exhibition in New Delhi, India, between 16 and 18 February 2023.

This short document wishes to highlight the key events of the DRM presence at BES where it showed and demonstrated the DRM members’ achievements and new developments of the standard under the overarching theme “DRM Saves Lives and Keeps Radio in Business”.

During the BES events visitors to the booth were attracted by the various DRM receiver solutions for both desktop, cars and mobile phones.

Here are some highlights:

VIP visits to the DRM Booth

During the opening of the BES exhibition and conference in New Delhi on the 16th February 2023, the Secretary of the Indian Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Mr. Apurva Chandra, visited the DRM Consortium booth and displays and was particularly interested in the various DRM receiver solutions being presented.

On the18th February Mr K.Rajaraman, Secretary, Ministry of Telecommunications, also stopped at the DRM booth.  He was interested in both the different receivers on display and in the over 5 million cars with line-fit DRM receivers already in use on Indian roads. His particular interest however was in the mobile phone solutions presented.

DRM Receivers and Receiver Solutions

The DRM receivers on display and used for demonstrations were, among others, from Gospell (desktop, portable and after market for cars) illustrated below:

DRM desktop WiFi enabled receivers and modules from Starwaves (Germany/Switzerland) attracted a lot of interest from the many visitors to our booth. The WiFi enabled DRM radios can be of very great help for the DRM services linked to distant schooling and education.

The CML Microcircuits’ cost-effective receiver module presented by the UK company during the BES Conference and explained in detail at the booth attracted a lot of interest from the participants. This new DRM product can be used by receiver manufacturers all over the world to produce DRM digital radios and its commercial launch is imminent.

Inntot Technologies of India had their own booth in which they displayed DRM related receiver products and solutions for both desktops and cars (in both AM and FM), already successfully implemented in India.

MOBIS (Hyundai) of India displayed their line-fit car receiver, as can be seen in the picture below:

DRM Solutions for Mobile Phones

The DRM mobile phone solution using the DRM standard was also available during the BES event. It was shown by both the Fraunhofer IIS Institute in Germany (1), as well as by Starwaves (2).

DRM for Public Signage

The DRM Public Signage service which can be used for a variety of announcements attracted a lot of interest from VIPs and the general public. The broadcasters can use DRM in the AM and FM bands to transmit to strategically placed public displays (big TVs for example), as shown below, messages and images in case of emergencies, during sport events or for advertising and educational purposes.

The DRM Emergency Warning Functionality (EWF)

It is an integral part of the DRM standard, and it was explained and demonstrated at length during the two days of the BES. This service is a live saving tool of paramount importance for many countries around the world intended to inform their population about impeding disasters and how they can stay safe.

View a video about DRM-EWF at BES 2023.

Multi-channel Broadcasts

The enhanced service of using one shared transmitter and one antenna to deliver up to 18 audio programmes plus up to 6 dedicated Journaline text services on DRM in the FM band was shown with the support of RFmondial and Fraunhofer IIS on mobile devices, standalone and car receivers on show there. This exceptional service (for broadcasters wishing to opt for it) can ensure additional energy and spectrum savings, while broadcasters still remain in full control of their own transmissions and programmes as can be seen below:

 

The DRM Alternative Frequency Signalling (AFS)

The DRM Consortium demonstrated on the receivers on displayed at BES the easy way to switch between programmes transmitted in DRM as well as analogue mode, in order to maintain a seamless service for the listeners.

Please click on the link below to witness this demonstration published also on Instagram and YouTube.

DRM Award for Excellence

On the second day of the BES Exhibition the DRM Consortium members offered to the grassroots DRM enthusiast and promoter, Dr. Thamminana Krushna Rao his diploma of excellence. This is in recognition of his sustained work in disseminating information about the benefits of the DRM digital radio standard among Indian automotive industry representatives. the subject of his conference presentation.

After a very successful and rewarding BES Expo and Conference in Delhi, DRM Consortium members gathered for a farewell photo, looking forward to future of DRM in all frequency bands in India.

The next big event will be the DRM General Assembly