What are the prospects for DAB+ in Russia?

РанTelevision channels 6-12 worked more in this range. After Russia's transition to DVB-T2 digital television in the UHF range, the meter range is not used, but the prospect of further use of the 174-230 MHz spectrum is left.

In the future, the radio frequency bands 2–12 television channels (58–66 MHz, 76–100 MHz and 174–230 MHz) and VHF-FM broadcasting (66–74 MHz) should be transferred to the category of primary use by civilian equipment.

Source:https://digital.gov.ru/ru/documents/3634/

Allocation of bands for VHF radio broadcasting

VHF Band I

VHF Band II

VHF Band III

The further fate of the 174-230 MHz range

The distribution of frequencies between services is carried out by the organization - State Commission on Radio Frequencies (SCRF) under the Government of Russia.
The range 174-230 MHz is allocated by decision of the SCRF No. 18-45-03 of April 16, 2018

To allocate the radio frequency band 175.872-228.128 MHz to an unspecified circle of people for the creation of terrestrial digital audio broadcasting networks of the DAB+ standard on the territory of the Russian Federation.

On the vcfm.ru forum in the DAB+ topic in Russia messages appeared that the International Telecommunication Union (ITU - The International Telecommunication Union) made frequency assignments for Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg and cities of the Leningrad region.

• Allocation of DAB+ frequencies for Kaliningrad,Zheleznodorozhny,Sovetsk and Veselovki- PDF: channels 5A, 10A, 10D and 11D.
• Allocation of DAB+ frequencies for St. Petersburg,Gatchina,Orekhovo,Pervomaisky- PDF: channels 9A and 9B,

participants in the vcfm.ru forum came to the general conclusion that frequency channel assignments for DAB+ do not mean anything, because There was no application from Russian authorities to assign DAB+ frequencies.

But I would like to know official information regarding the further use of the empty VHF III range 174-230 MHz in Russia.

For example, it suggests the creation of a DAB multiplex from thematic music radio stations such as Jazz FM, Orpheus, Studio 21, Relax FM, which, I suspect, have a small audience. Moving to a DAB+ multiplex will allow broadcasters to reduce transmitter rental costs, because in one channel with a width of 1.5 MHz, 15 music and talk radio stations can simultaneously broadcast with bit rates of 64-80 kbit/s with audio compression according to the AAC standard.