Digital GB cresce e converge

«More than half of UK households will have digital radio sets by 2010, according to research published today. The projection represents a near-fourfold rise in penetration from current levels and reflects the increasing availability of cheap models. The Digital Radio Development Bureau, the industry body charged with driving the uptake of digital radio, estimates that penetration of DAB sets will be 13.9% by the end of the year. That is expected to rise to more than 40% by 2009, and to top 50% in 2010, according to the DRDB. Two million sets are expected to be sold over the course of 2006, some costing as little as £29. "Over the past four years, we have seen a dramatic rise in the number of DAB digital radio sets available to consumers, and there are now about 300 different models available from all the leading consumer electronic brands," said the DRDB's chief executive, Ian Dickens. "Having established a firm product base in the traditional radio market, our aim is to ensure DAB digital radio is also available across a broader range of devices as digital convergence continues," he continued. "To meet these needs, DAB digital radio must be included in new multi-purpose devices, and the good news is that the first such products are already hitting the streets." The first mobile phone able to receive DAB stations, the Virgin Mobile Lobster 700, will be launched this month, while MP3 players featuring DAB receivers are already on the market. The growth of digital radio is also being driven by more listening on the internet and by digital TV channels»

fonte: «Digital radios in most homes by 2010, say researchers», Chris Tryhorn, October 17, 2006, MediaGuardian.co.uk