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Communications Authority (CA) has developed a general frame-work to transition Kenya from the FM radio frequency to Digital Sound Broadcasting (DSB) services to address market demand and scarcity of frequency spectrums.

The regulator said scarcity of the FM radio spectrum had resulted in a backlog of applications, with over 1000 investors in queue.

Adoption of DSB services would greatly improve broadcast signal quality and spectrum efficiency, in addition to adding new programming services by lowering the bar for entry of programme operators through sharing of multiplex infrastructure.

Broadcasters in the country are fac-ing significant channel interferences because of crowded airwaves. “We are at the initial stages. We are anticipating that possibly, we can do the trials within the next year or two, to have a first test of the ser-vice,” officials of CA said during a media workshop on Wednesday.

Terrestrial television

The draft framework positions the digital radio as a complementary service that will be operated alongside analogue radio. A three-phased rollout has been preferred covering 29 sites across the country, with the process similar to that used during the digital terrestrial television roll-out, they added.

The first phase will cover 12 towns, representing 12.6 per cent of Ken-ya’s territory and 40 per cent of the population. They include Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Meru, Nyeri, Londiani, Kibwezi, Webuye, Voi and Machakos. An additional 17 sites will be added in phase two and a further 22 in the final phase.