DAB+ warning system will save lives. At the IBC show in Amsterdam, we presented ASA, a pioneering innovation designed to protect the public in the event of an emergency. The system provides reliable alerts without the need for an internet connection.
Thanks to the new automatic safety alerts (ASA), "lives will be saved", declared WorldDAB president Jacqueline Bierhorst at the IBC show in Amsterdam on Sunday September 15. Bierhorst highlighted the success of last week's "Warntag" tests in Germany, which showcased the new ASA system via DAB+ for the first time. The first deployment of the ASA system will take place in Germany, where numerous partners, including public and private broadcasters such as ARD and Deutschlandradio, network providers, safety authorities and Fraunhofer IIS, have come together.
At IBC, Technical Committee Chair Lindsay Cornell announced that the ETSI International Specifications - the official standards underpinning the ASA system - have now been approved and published, marking the successful completion of the technical work. Cornell pointed out that ASA gives broadcasters editorial control over the area in which receivers will respond to alerts, a key differentiating factor from existing emergency alerting arrangements. Cornell also showed a Frontier Smart Technologies development receiver that had been used in the "Warntag" tests.
The importance of these innovations was underlined by Matthieu Rawolle of the EBU, who presented data from his report "Radio in times of crisis". "The impact of natural disasters in Europe is increasing. Radio has shown resilience in extreme situations. It is a key pillar in times of crisis," he said.
Rawolle also stressed that radio devices are ubiquitous, portable, easy to use, reliable and innovative. "It is essential for radio to preserve its assets while continuing to innovate," he added.