DAB+ is the upgraded version of digital audio broadcasting. Its technical root is the Eureka-147 project launched in Europe in 1987, and in 1995 the UK broadcast the world's first regular digital radio service. The old DAB used MP2 audio coding; DAB+ switched to HE-AAC v2, carrying more content in the same bandwidth and resisting interference better.
The two are not forward compatible — an old receiver cannot pick up the plus-version stations. This is the easiest trap in chip selection: many teams only discover at prototype stage that the old module cannot receive plus-version stations, and fixing it after the fact means hardware changes at high cost.
By 2025, WorldDAB counted over 50 countries and regions broadcasting DAB/DAB+, and the large majority had moved to DAB+. The UK still keeps a batch of old DAB channels; Norway switched off national analogue FM in 2017, and Switzerland follows in 2026.
Under the EU's EECC (European Electronic Communications Code, Directive (EU) 2018/1972) Article 113 and Annex XI, since 21 December 2020 new M1 passenger-car types must carry digital-radio reception capability. That is why this market is unavoidable for anyone building car head units. Chinese carmakers selling into Europe must treat DAB+ as a hard requirement from project launch, not bolt it on after the prototype appears. Plenty of manufacturers only find at submission that the module does not support the plus version and the band covers only some countries — rework then costs several times more than doing it early.
The EU rule is explicit: only newly built M1 passenger cars are mandatory — not buses, trucks or N1 light vans (the text says M1 only) — and they must integrate digital-radio reception, with DAB or DAB+ as a hard indicator. To enter a European OEM's supply chain, the head unit must carry a DAB+ tuner. This is not optional; it is an entry barrier.
The system uses OFDM modulation, mainly in the Band III range of 174 to 240 MHz, with some countries also using the L-band. Its advantage is packing multiple stations into one frequency block, saving spectrum versus analogue FM, and resisting dropout from multipath reflection while moving.
The DAB+ module's RF side goes under the EU's RED directive, tested per receiver standards such as ETSI EN 303 345-4 (Broadcast Sound Receivers Part 4: DAB) for sensitivity, adjacent-channel selectivity and blocking immunity. If the module also has a transmit function, it must additionally clear the full EMC and radio-equipment testing.
The whole vehicle must also pass the automotive E-mark under UN Regulation No. 10 for vehicle EMC — to stop the radio interfering with other systems and vice versa. RF, EMC and whole-vehicle certification stack together, so schedule them up front.
Points often missed: chip non-interchangeability — a DAB-only chip cannot receive DAB+, while a DAB+ chip usually receives DAB; confirm the module supports HE-AAC v2 decoding, do not trust only the "supports DAB" label. Band plans differ by country — UK, Germany and the Nordics vary, so multi-country models need regional adaptation, not one firmware for all. The antenna is critical — gain and placement decide reception, and reworking the enclosure after road-test dropouts is too late. Firmware must keep up — data services like electronic programme guide and text information need both module and head-unit support; miss either and the function is incomplete.
For in-vehicle wireless certification, the target market's band and mandatory standards are checked with the client first, avoiding the costliest rework: choosing a module only to find it does not support a country's system.
When RF, EMC and the whole-vehicle e-mark proceed together, BlueAsia's one-stop testing and certification merges the sample and documents into one schedule, queuing only once — faster than splitting across three laboratories.
Contact: King Email: king.guo@cblueasia.comAddress: Building C, Hongjingda Industrial Park, No. 107 Beihuan Road, Shiyan Street, Bao'an District, Shenzhen, China BlueAsia delivers more than service!
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