DAB and DAB+ receivers are making further inroads into car manufacturers. The majority of new cars sold in the UK, Norway, and Switzerland are now equipped with the digital radio receivers. Patrick Hannon, president of WorldDAB, said 82% of new cars in the UK have DAB as standard, followed by 73% in Norway and 65% in Switzerland.
“Europe is leading the way for DAB in the car and there’s a consensus from governments to make this happen across borders,” Hannon said. “Fifty-six percent of European citizens are now able to receive DAB services and seven countries with national DAB coverage account for 60 percent of new car sales in Europe.”
Interest from car manufacturers has been critical in increasing the DAB adoption. “In Europe, DAB has a strong chance of being as popular or more popular as FM,” said Phil Stuchfield, broadcast media specialist for Jaguar Land Rover. “But there is still a coverage advantage for FM, so until this is addressed for most users, there will be some reluctance to jump.”