The DRM Consortium including Fraunhofer IIS has proven that completely new opportunities are available for distance education: They succeeded in sending a demo lesson comprising text, audio, and images from England to the Gambia with the digital radio standard Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM).
The DRM distance education lesson – complete with multilingual audio, pictures, and interactive text – was received by pupils of a school in the Gambian capital Banjul. The content was delivered to tablets connected to a DRM radio that automatically opened a Wi-Fi hotspot, providing access to the content without the need for internet.
Education globally accessible with DRM E-Learning
DRM is the only global digital radio standard that embraces all currently used radio frequency bands. It has been designed specifically as a high-quality digital replacement for former analogue radio broadcasting in the AM and FM/VHF bands. It can be operated with the same channeling and spectrum allocations that are currently employed.
By leveraging the power of digital radio, DRM E-Learning makes education more accessible, sustainable, and inclusive. With DRM’s Journaline, mainly developed by Fraunhofer, the transmission of textbooks in multiple languages including pictures and graphic elements is possible, which provides on-demand access to education and information to people all around the world, even when there are technological limitations. It provides access to education without the need for an internet connection, making it an ideal solution for remote areas or during a crisis such as a pandemic.
Various Fraunhofer technologies combined in one versatile application
To ensure flexible broadcasting to the most remote areas, several high-end Fraunhofer technologies are combined:
The Fraunhofer DRM ContentServer™ R7 is a flexible and highly reliable professional broadcasting solution for DRM. It combines internal audio encoding, support for remote audio encoders, multimedia data management, and multiplex generation. A user-friendly web interface enables configuration and system monitoring via remote access.
To ensure extraordinary sound quality, all audio is broadcast in xHE-AAC. The latest generation of the AAC codec range also makes it possible for DRM to use a very low bitrate (6.5 kbps) for shortwave transmitting, which guarantees that the broadcast reaches even the most remote areas.
The demo lesson sent to the Gambia included audio services in English, German and French. The two latter languages were generated with Fraunhofer Allinga, an AI-based text-to-speech software.
With the Fraunhofer DRM MultimediaPlayer radio app, people from different regions can access all the possibilities of digital radio on smartphones, tablets, and PC receivers. The Fraunhofer Multimedia Player is running on a radio, which receives the broadcast. This device opens a Wi-Fi Hotspot, making sure all kinds of tablets, phones, and computers are able to connect to it in order to get access to the E-Learning content.
“We are thrilled that we have successfully showcased DRM, including various Fraunhofer technologies that enable receiving content such as complex audio, texts, and pictures without the need for internet,” says Alexander Zink, Chief Business Development Manager for Broadcast Audio at Fraunhofer IIS. “The flexibility of DRM technology allows content to be broadcast over very long distances, from England to the Gambia for example, reaching isolated regions, or serving local communities. Whether in remote villages or urban areas facing connectivity issues, DRM E-Learning bridges the gap and ensures continuous access to knowledge.”
For more information about Radio Schooling based on Journaline click here.