The introduction of digital broadcast systems has paved the way for a multitude of new services that utilise the advantages that these systems provide. Robustness to noise at mobile reception, high sound quality and efficient frequency utilisation are some important benefits, but the most useful characteristic for multimedia applications is the transparency of the system to various types of data. Audio, images, video and text can be combined and transmitted in the same system. In a digital broadcast multimedia system a mobile user can receive various kinds of useful information, updated continuously, and the range of possible new services is only limited by our imagination. Creating new services for electronic distribution is technically simple, which implies that companies without previous experience in the field can enter the market without large investments. In this article the concept of travel and traffic information services in a digital broadcast system will be discussed, including a possible new service. The focus will be on DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) as a system candidate. (A)
Abstract