NEW DELHI: A DRM30 digital radio trial and workshop is to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 24 March.

It is being organised by the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) Consortium and the Indonesian public broadcaster, Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI).

In an attempt to offer quality broadcasting services all over the country through efficient use of energy, RRI said in a statement that it was looking for ways to overcome the challenges posed by Indonesia’s landscape, which mostly consists of mountainous areas, larger islands and coastal lowlands.

DRM Consortium Chairman Ruxandra Obreja said “We believe that DRM will prove to be the full and cost-effective solution for Indonesia allowing it to provide quality broadcasting with extra services, to densely populated urban zones but also to remote areas. The DRM trial and workshop will be run together with Indonesian specialists and will give them the opportunity to experience the quality and advantages of DRM digital radio broadcasting while we will learn more about this important Asian market.”  

“We are looking at the weaknesses that we experience currently in analogue radio with a desire to offer radio broadcast services that are economical, easy, and mobile, offering the same good quality to Indonesian citizens, whether they are in big or small cities, even in remote areas and whether they are farmers, fishermen, government officials or private citizens,” said Chairman of the Supervisory Board of RRI Indonesia, Sunarya Ruslan.

RRI Technology and New Media Director, Muhammad Rohanudin added, "RRI is currently reviewing the appropriate technologies to be used as a delivery medium. These technologies include DRM and we hope that the DRM trial in the Bogor area will provide us with options and a better understanding of digital radio broadcasting."

The DRM30 trial and workshop will be held from 24 to 27 March in Jakarta and Bogor, and will be supported by RRI and key Consortium members- Fraunhofer IIS, GatesAir, RFmondial, and Transradio.  During the workshop attendees will be invited to observe the results of the DRM30 trial and to learn more about the full DRM standard.