Subject: [NEXTEL-1] What is Digital Radio?

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2003 14:52:41 -0400

-------- Original Message --------
   From: [email-masked]
Subject: What is Digital Radio?

Digital radio is the transmission and reception of sound that has been processed
using technology comparable to that used in CD players. In short, a digital radio
transmitter processes sounds into patterns of numbers, or "digits" - hence the
term "digital radio." In contrast, traditional analog radios process sounds into
patterns of electrical signals which resemble sound waves.

     ·       FM digital radio is capable of providing crystal clear sound
     comparable in quality to compact disks (CDs), or to the acoustics of a fine
     concert hall. Receivers provide a standard of sound quality that is
     significantly clearer than conventional analog radios, just as CDs sound
     clearer than record albums. Conventional analog radio cannot meet this
     standard.

     ·       AM digital radio is capable of providing sound quality equivalent to
     that of standard day analog FM. AM digital improvement qualities are limited
     due to available spectrum bandwidth. In any event, audio quality improves
     significantly.

     ·       Digital radio reception is largely immune to interference. Digital
     radio eliminates many imperfections relating to analog radio transmission and
     reception. There may be some interference to digital radio signals in areas
     that are distant from a station's transmitter.

     ·       With digital radio, static is virtually nonexistent. Inside each
     digital radio receiver is a tiny computer ("smart receiver") which is capable
     of filtering unwanted signals. In contrast, an "unintelligent" analog
     receiver cannot differentiate the useful information from the useless noise,
     which results in static.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has moved a step closer to bringing
digital radio to millions of Americans, read more at
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/digitalradio.html.