The National Communication Authority (NCA) has announced the commencement of a Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) trial in Accra and Kumasi, set to begin on August 1, 2023.

This initiative will enable FM stations participating in the trial to be simultaneously heard in both cities, marking a significant advancement in radio broadcasting technology.

Ghana's adoption of DAB ushers in a new era of radio broadcasting, promising listeners an enriched experience with enhanced sound quality, an array of station choices, and interactive features.

The latest version of DAB, DAB+, will be deployed, making Ghana the first country in West Africa and the fourth in the entire continent to embrace this cutting-edge technology.

DAB's arrival comes with a host of benefits, including overcoming frequency constraints in major Ghanaian cities where FM radio has faced severe limitations. By harnessing digital signals, DAB mitigates interference and ensures superior audio quality compared to traditional analogue FM radio.

One of the key advantages of DAB is its efficient spectrum usage, enabling multiple stations to share the same frequency channel and transmitter, thereby optimizing energy and frequency efficiency. In this trial, 18 existing FM stations in Accra and Kumasi will utilize this capability to provide DAB services.

Moreover, DAB offers enhanced interactive services, allowing the transmission of metadata such as text and images for services, programme information, emergency warnings, news, weather updates, and traffic information - a significant step forward compared to FM radio.

Consumer convenience is also prioritised, as DAB allows users to effortlessly select stations by searching for their names, eliminating the need to memorise frequencies.

With Ghana taking the lead in deploying DAB technology, this pioneering trial is expected to transform the country's radio broadcasting landscape, setting a new standard for sound broadcasting services in the region.

The NCA is committed to keeping the general public informed about the developments and progress of this groundbreaking initiative, which holds the potential to revolutionise radio broadcasting in Ghana and beyond.