A first look at the life-saving Automatic Safety Alert (ASA) system on DAB+ will be available to delegates at
this year’s Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) Digital Broadcasting Symposium (DBS), held from 24-27
February in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The event is the premier technical symposium in the APAC region
focussing on the broadcasting industry.
During the conference, delegates from across the region will have the opportunity to witness the first
demonstrations in Asia of the new ASA system. The technical standards for this innovative feature were
published by ETSI in September 2024. Product testing certification will be available to manufacturers in the
coming weeks, with the first consumer receivers incorporating ASA available to consumers later this year.
WorldDAB will host a DAB+ workshop on 24 February from 09:30 MYT, on “Innovations in implementing
DAB+: safety and efficiency”. As part of this, ASA will also be featured, with Lindsay Cornell, Chair of the
WorldDAB Technical Committee, providing a detailed description of its capabilities and introduction to
broadcasting systems worldwide. The workshop will also include updates on DAB+ establishment progress
from SE-Asian and African countries and features presentations on the latest developments from major
suppliers of multiplexer, transmitter, antenna and monitoring systems with an emphasis on safety and
efficiency.
WorldDAB Project Director, Bernie O’Neill said: We look forward to sharing with DBS delegates the demo of DAB’s emergency warning feature – ASA – offering broadcasters in the region a vital feature that will help save lives across the region.”
WorldDAB’s work to develop Automatic Safety Alerts (ASA) for DAB+ was recognised last month by Paris Radio Show Grand Prix Awards. ASA was nominated in the “Best Technical Innovation” award – the category recognising new concepts, emerging technologies and innovative solutions.
Pic: WorldDAB
