Channel-Allocation Plan for National and Local T-DAB Services in VHF Band III

Abstract

The digital audio broadcasting (DAB) system is mainly designed for large-area coverage and is suited for a single-frequency network (SFN) operating in Very High Frequency (VHF) Band III. To operate successfully, the SFN requires a different network-planning approach for multiple-frequency networks and should avoid self-interference. This paper focuses on nationwide SFN planning and DAB channel-allocation planning to replace all frequency-modulation (FM) services with terrestrial DAB services in VHF Band III. In South Korea, VHF Band III has been used for terrestrial digital multimedia broadcasting (T-DMB) services; thus, available frequencies should be investigated for T-DAB services and the nationwide SFN. An approach for broadcasting channel-interference analysis is proposed herein. For the interference analysis, the geographical features and the information for stations of legacy FM radio broadcasting and T-DMB, such as transmission parameters, are considered. The ratio of the interference area to the coverage is calculated via the channel-interference analysis. Areas affected by the self-interference in the nationwide SFN are investigated. The results of this paper provide insights regarding channel-allocation planning for T-DAB services and an approach for nationwide SFN planning.