All India Radio to start DRM transmissions

New Delhi, Jan 14 : All India Radio will soon be joining the selected league of broad- casters having DRM capability. One of the high power transmitter at Khampur, Delhi D17 (Thomcast 53C3-3P53 250 kW code named D17) will be upgraded for DRM operation. Thales Switzerland provided the equipment, technology & support for the upgradation of shortwave transmitter at an estimated cost of CHF 290870.

DRM equipment reached Khampur on Jan 03, and the commissioning engineer from Thales arrived on Jan 09. Installation is expected to be over by early next week and test transmissions expected by next week. According to sources this will be Thales Skywave 2000 system which has been designed to enable existing AM radio broadcasting transmitter equipment to create, transmit, receive and analyze digital signals. As the AIR officials also admit the success of DRM depends on the availibility of DRM capable radios in India at an affordable price. Hope this does not meets the fate of DAB which was tested by AIR R&D since last 6 years, being demonstrated in the broadcast exhibitions year after year but was never launched. Last time when I was at AIR headquarters, officials were talking about big plans to rollout DRM in phased way in India. Lets hope for the best.

Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi. 

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