In proposed legislation in the European Union to help regulate electronic communication, there are provisions outlined to safeguard terrestrial radios in new cars sold in its member states.
On Jan. 20, the European Commission set out its proposals for the Digital Networks Act, which aims to streamline regional rules on connectivity networks across the EU.
In that proposal, the commission included language that would guarantee radio receivers in new passenger vehicles sold in member states must be capable of receiving available radio stations via digital broadcasting.
While the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) felt reassured that radio is preserved in conventional automobiles, it said more ambition is needed to ensure terrestrial radio in all vehicle types.
“We regret that crucial access to radio has not been expanded to ensure terrestrial broadcast radio presence and access in all vehicles as radio is a lifeline in times of crisis,” said EBU Senior EU Policy Advisor Vincent Sneed in a statement following the release of the proposal.
The Association of European Radios (AER) also welcomed the Digital Networks Act but called for stronger safeguards for radio in connected cars.
“The Digital Networks Act is crucial and needs to make sure that every new vehicle sold in the EU — not just passenger cars — is required to include a built‑in broadcast radio receiver,” Francesca Fabbri of the AER told us.
As our sister site ITPro reported, the act would introduce mandatory national transition plans to phase out copper networks and transition to advanced networks between 2030 and 2035.
A cross-party group of members of the European Parliament had urged the commission to include safeguards for radio in connected cars in the proposed act, in a letter sent to the European Commission’s president earlier in January.
Radio guarantees
Standard passenger vehicles sold in the EU must come equipped with radio receivers that are “interoperable,” according to the Jan. 20 proposal.
In this context, interoperability serves to cover the DAB+ standard, whether it be via digital terrestrial signals.
The proposal also explicitly states there is no ban on receiving analog broadcasts, as it states new vehicles are not prohibited from “being capable of receiving and reproducing radio services provided via analog terrestrial radio broadcasting.”
Member states are not prevented from imposing obligations to ensure that digital radio receivers are capable of receiving and reproducing analog radio broadcasts, according to the proposal.
This may improve public safety, according to the DNA, by enabling listeners to rely on a “wider set of technologies” for accessing and receiving emergency information in member states.
But Sneed told us the provision also does not include “light vehicles” or “mini-cars,” which often do not include receivers, rather just a smartphone holster. It also does not account for vehicles carrying goods or light-weight vehicles, for example.
“Expanding the mandate to goods-carrying vehicles is also a safety issue for professional drivers,” Sneed told Radio World. “If there is no cellular network, these drivers have zero access to emergency information.”
Existing legislation
The inclusion of the provisions in the proposed DNA follows the implementation of the European Electronic Communications Code of 2018. Before that directive mandated DAB+ in new passenger cars starting in late 2020, digital radio integration hovered between 20% and 30% across most EU member states.
Today, that figure has climbed to approximately 95%.
However, that success led the European Commission to consider dropping the rule entirely in the proposed DNA, Sneed explained, under the logic that the market had already matured.
The EBU and AER feared fearing that without a legal floor, automakers might pivot toward screen-only, IP-based dashboards that prioritize proprietary apps over free-to-air broadcast.
By expanding the mandate to commercial and light vehicles, advocates hope to close the remaining “broadcast blind spot.”
Timeline
The proposed DNA will be the object of fierce opposition for reasons far beyond the connected car — as it contains more than 200 articles.
The next step is for the proposal to be presented to the European Parliament and Council for approval.
As a result, Sneed told us to expect two more years of debate.
