DAB/DAB+ vs. Mobile (Cellular) radio: which is better?

Theoretically, which can have a better bitrate - dab+ radio or radio programs broadcast over the internet?

Theoretically, internet radio can achieve a better bitrate than DAB+ radio. DAB+ is a terrestrial broadcasting technology with a fixed total bandwidth shared between all stations in a given "multiplex", while the bitrate of internet radio is limited only by the broadcaster's server and the speed of the listener's internet connection.

Bitrate limitations and factors

Radio DAB+ 📻

DAB+ broadcasts are limited by the total capacity of the multiplex, which is the only digital signal that contains multiple radio stations. All multiplexes have a fixed maximum bitrate of approximately 2,304 kbps. This total bandwidth is then divided between all radio stations in the same multiplex. For example, if there are 10 stations in a single multiplex, they must share this bandwidth. This often leads to broadcasters choosing a lower bitrate per station (e.g. 48 kbps to 96 kbps) to allow for a greater number of stations and services.

This is a severe limitation inherent in the technology. While DAB+ is more spectrally efficient and uses a more modern codec (HE-AAC v2) than the original DAB standard, it still operates within this fixed bandwidth model.

Internet radio 🌐

Internet radio, on the other hand, is a streaming service. Each stream is an independent connection between the broadcaster's server and the listener. The bitrate is not shared with other stations. This means that a broadcaster can choose to stream at a much higher bitrate, such as 320 kbps, or even offer lossless formats like FLAC, which can have bitrates over 1,000 kbps, assuming they have the server capacity and the listener has a fast enough internet connection.

This option makes Internet radio broadcasts theoretically unlimited in terms of bit rate, as it is not limited to the finite spectrum of the broadcast frequency.

The only practical limitations are the cost of bandwidth for the broadcaster and the internet speed of the listener.

It's pretty clear who the winner is here and this is probably where radio broadcasting in general will go in the not-too-distant future.

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