BBC Plans Digital Radio In 1995

The BBC plans to start network radio transmissions of digital audio broadcasting next September. The broadcasts will provide compact disc quality distortion-free audio to both car radios and portable sets. The BBC plans to extend the broadcasts to reach 60% of the country within the next few years. The main urban areas of the UK and the motorway network should be covered by 1998.

The BBC is believed to be the first broadcaster to have committed itself to providing a DAB service. The BBC, as a public-service broadcaster, has decided that it should begin broadcasts to stimulate the market for the special radio sets that will be needed to receive the broadcasts. The digital system is more efficient in its use of the radio spectrum, and its use could eventually allow an expansion in choice.