The Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) standard was developed a number of years ago and has
been used successfully in test transmissions all over the world. DRM has the advantages of
Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), namely being more spectrally efficient than AM and FM,
allowing more stations, at higher quality, into a given amount of bandwidth, but operating at a
lower frequency, below 30 MHz (long wave, medium wave and short wave), which allows for
very-long-distance signal propagation. The standard is of most use in rural areas or highly
dispersed populations such as in India, Africa, China, Australia and Russia. To date, the
adoption of the standard has been limited to test transmissions due to the lack of commercially
available receiver products at an acceptable cost point. With the largest target consumer base
living in areas of very low income, the receivers would need to compete with existing
analogue radios but using digital technology. The Grid Network (TGN) has developed IP and
technology for DAB radio receivers for a number of years and recently completed the world's
lowest power and lowest cost module for use within commercial radio receivers. The module
uses IP developed and owned by TGN running on Silicon available from one of the world's
leading silicon chip suppliers. Using this technology as the basis for a new radio, we believe
that we can design, develop and ultimately manufacture and sell a receiver than can operate
from solar power or with very small, zero maintenance batteries at a cost compatible with
adoption and use in developing economies, where the potential consumers exceeds 1Billion.