VHF switch-off in Germany - all information

VHF will switch off sooner or later in Germany, but when exactly is not yet clear. We'll show you what you need to know about the end of classic radio reception.

VHF switch-off in Germany: why is this necessary?

• Bavarian radio was the first German radio station to be transmitted via FM in 1949. The technology was invented as early as 1925. However, there are now significantly better alternatives.
• In 1999, the first broadcasters in Germany began to broadcast digitally using the DAB transmission standard. DAB has been converted to DAB + since 2011. Digital radio only really became relevant after this change.
• While Norway is already taking the first stations off the network, digitization is progressing slowly in Germany. It is unlikely that the FM will be switched off before 2025.
• Although digital radio reception via DAB + offers numerous advantages, in 2015 only around 10 percent of households were equipped with digital radio. Most of the new radios are now digital radios, however, and automakers mostly only install digital rather than FM radios in new cars.

DAB instead of FM: what's the advantage?

• The abbreviation DAB stands for "Digital Audio Broadcasting". The radio stations are also received via transmission masts, but digitally and not via ultra-short waves.
• The digital transmission means that significantly more transmitters can be transmitted than before because the transmitters occupy fewer frequencies. If you drive by car from Bavaria to Hamburg, you can listen to Bavarian radio stations during the entire trip without breaking the connection.
• The audio quality of digital radio is also significantly better, comparable to CD quality. Unlike FM radio, you either have optimal reception or no reception at all. There is nothing in between.
• More transmitters, better sound and interference-free reception clearly speak for the end of FM. At the moment, however, very few listeners have switched. However, this process could accelerate in the next few years, since the operation of the VHF network is significantly more expensive in comparison and both networks are currently operated in parallel, which causes additional costs.

VHF switch-off: when do I have to switch to DAB +?

• There is currently no hurry to switch from FM to DAB +. If you buy a new radio in the coming years, you will hardly have to expect higher costs than an FM radio.
• However, make sure that you buy a radio with DAB + and not only with DAB. DAB is the predecessor of DAB +, which has been switched off in Germany since 2011.
• Unfortunately, with the FM cut-off, all FM radios will no longer work in older cars. Here you also have to convert.