- Question
Is it possible to have a DRM transmitter for a broadcast coverage area of 10 km radius, at a price that is affordable for a community station?
(Indonesian community stations’ representative)
- Answer
Definitely. You must work out the coverage radius area in relation to the power needed, remembering that in DRM the power requirement is less than in analogue (by half or even two-thirds). A 10 km radius seems small, so we can predict that what you need is low-power transmission. This should be quite affordable, though the exciter and modulator are still essential for DRM digitisation and they come at a cost. There are already companies presenting and soon commercialising low-power transmission setups (one-box solutions) which should be exactly what you need. DRM also supports a multichannel transmission mode, which means that using the exceptionally efficient use of spectrum and transmitter/antenna infrastructure, community stations could benefit from the setup that allows one transmitter and one antenna to transmit multiple DRM signals side-by-side, each carrying up to 3 audio and a data service.