Kenya has started its first live trial of Digital Sound Broadcasting (DSB) in Nairobi, launching a 12-month pilot that it says could ease chronic congestion in the popular FM (frequency modulation) radio spectrum.
The test announced by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) on Friday marks the country’s first public transmission of digital radio signals, a shift expected to relieve pressure on the fully allocated 87.5-108.0 MHz FM band in major urban areas and create room for more broadcasters.
DSB technology converts analogue audio into compressed digital data, allowing multiple radio stations to share a single frequency. Digital radio stations transmit using one of several digital audio standards, such as DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting), HD Radio, or DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale).
Multiple radio stations are bundled into one digital signal called a multiplex, transmitted via digital transmitters, and a DSB/DAB radio receiver decodes the signal into sound. Instead of tuning to frequencies such as 96.3 FM, listeners select stations by name from a list.
How does it differ from FM radio?
Kenya has been using analogue radio, which uses either amplitude modulation (AM) or FM. FM is adopted widely because it gives clearer sound compared to AM, whose main strength is travelling farther.
With analogue transmission, each radio station is assigned a specific frequency by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA). Commercial FM radio operates in the Very High Frequency (VHF) spectrum, with the standard, worldwide band ranging from 87.5 to 108.0 Megahertz (MHz). It is often called the VHF Band II.
Each station occupies 200 kHz (0.2 MHz) of bandwidth. The station’s modulated signal goes to a transmitter tower, which sends radio waves into the air via an antenna. A radio receiver tuned to a specific frequency picks up the signal using its antenna.
However, available FM frequencies are limited, which is why digital radio trials are being explored. According to the CA, the VHF Band II is saturated in major coverage areas, leaving little room for new broadcasters, increasing interference, and resulting in relatively poor audio quality.
What changes with CA’s shift to digital radio?
CA has, since 2023, been developing a framework focused on Digital Audio Broadcasting in VHF Band III (174-230 MHz) and on Digital Radio Mondiale in the HF band (30 MHz). In January 2026, Nairobi-based telecommunications firm Mast Rental became the first operator to deploy a DAB+ trial network and currently carries 14 radio programmes within the Nairobi coverage area.
Kenya will be able to carry multiple services on a single channel, which is expected to lower transmission costs and create space for new entrants, including community broadcasters, by providing reserved capacity at nominal carriage costs.
Read: Kenya switches on digital radio trial as frequencies of FMs hit capacity limits
Are broadcasters required to switch from analogue transmission?
Not yet. At present, the CA has said the DSB technology will initially complement, not replace, existing FM services. The authority has not set an analogue switch-off date, so broadcasters will still continue to reach their listeners while digital platforms are rolled out in phases.
The rollout begins with the Mombasa-Nairobi-Kisumu corridor.
What is the transition’s cost implication for broadcasters?
Eventually, broadcasters have to invest in audio encoding equipment, multiplexer access (by either buying space on a multiplex run by a network operator or joining a consortium to run one together), special transmitters designed for DAB signals, and network infrastructure.
In many countries, a single multiplex operator runs transmitters and stations lease capacity to lower running costs. Since only the transmission chain changes, broadcasters can still keep studios, microphones, mixing consoles, and content production systems.
How big is Kenya’s radio consumption?
Radio is Kenya’s most pervasive mass medium, reaching an estimated 98 percent of households and supporting more than 300 licensed stations. As online platforms grow, radio continues to be consumed alongside television and digital services rather than as a stand-alone channel.
What does the switch mean for listeners?
For consumers, digital radio delivers clearer sound, reduced harmful interference, and a wider choice of programming. Listeners enjoy increased content diversity, including niche, regional and thematic services, such as sports channels, or stations specialising in specific genres of music.
There is also potential value-added data services such as programme and station information, news alerts, song details, images or album art.
Do consumers need to get new receivers to enjoy digital radio?
Yes. Because a regular FM/AM radio cannot decode digital signals, one needs a DAB/DAB+ enabled radio, or a car with a built-in digital radio. You don’t need a special radio if you listen through smartphone apps, livestreaming via the internet, or using smart speakers and TVs, as these devices receive digital radio over the internet, not over-the-air broadcast.
The FM radios will, however, still work unless the government decides to switch off analogue broadcasts.
Does digital radio work without internet connection?
Yes, standard DAB and DAB+ radios do not need an internet connection. They receive signals directly from broadcasting towers via an antenna, similar to FM radio.
How is digital radio being adopted across the world?
In Africa, the Ghanaian government launched a DAB radio trial in August 2023, hosting up to 18 FM stations in a single multiplex in the VHF Band III (174-230 MHz). others are Algeria and South Africa.
In the UK, one of the early adopters of the technology, many major stations broadcast simultaneously on FM and DAB via national and local multiplex networks. It has been widely adopted for more niche stations. In Germany, public broadcasters and private stations share multiplexes.