[BC] IBOC Query

[Chris Dunleavy]

Fritz,

Interesting... but what's DAB?

Chris

-----Original Message-----
[mailto:broadcast at radiolists.net] On Behalf Of Phil Alexander

On 31 Jan 2006 at 20:18, Robert Meuser wrote:

 > There is not time frame for dropping analog nor will there likely ever be
one.
 > There is nothing in this for the FCC or the government. Unlike digital
 > TV there is no spectrum to recover and resell.

Never-the-less, that was the theoretical raison d'?tre of IBOC, and that
theme runs through the proceedings of the FCC dockets and the NRSC as I read
them.

It is true in the present scenario (written by Ibiquity) that it is in their
interest to preserve their monopoly for the foreseeable future. This is
probably the reason they have elected the "trade secret" route rather than
patent disclosure for technology protection. That, however, is a double
edged sword when/if IBOC gains traction. In the Street, there are bulls,
bears and hogs. The bulls make money on the upside, bears make it on the
down side, and hogs ultimately get their throats cut. Ibiquity may offer yet
another proof of this wisdom.

If we speak of DAB rather than IBOC, the route to REAL service demands
increasing signal strength by an order of magnitude if primary market
penetration (IOW city center buildings) is to be achieved.

...

But to Stanley's question: If terrestrial broadcasting continues long term,
at some point it probably will be DAB, but Ibiquity has so clouded the
picture that predicting if or when has now become impossible. However, in
2001, the best thinking was 2013 to 2016. The automotive market forces a
minimum time frame of about 8 or 9 years depending on the automotive scrap
rate if you look at it from a practical standpoint. That does not mean it
can happen in that time frame, just that it is unlikely to happen in a
shorter time frame regardless of circumstances.