From December 2025, Luxembourg will begin broadcasting radio via DAB+, marking a major shift from traditional FM that will offer listeners improved sound quality, more station choice, including new channels such as RTL Today Radio, and more reliable mobile reception across the country.
Digital radio via DAB+ offers a noticeably better sound experience than analogue FM. With FM, a constant background hiss is always present, and the weaker the signal becomes, the stronger the interference gets, until the broadcast becomes impossible to understand.
This issue does not occur with DAB+. Because the sound is transmitted digitally, the audio quality remains the same at all times. Built-in error correction compensates for weak reception, so listeners do not hear the signal degrading. Instead, once the signal becomes too weak, the sound simply cuts out altogether.
DAB+ audio is compressed, similar to streaming or MP3 files. This allows several stations to share the same frequency. Among the stations set to broadcast via DAB+ is RTL Today Radio, which will become available terrestrially for the first time.
What you need to know about DAB+
In addition to better and more stable sound, DAB+ offers other advantages: listeners no longer need to know a station's frequency, all stations appear in an alphabetical list by name. Radio broadcasters can also send additional information displayed on compatible receivers, for example, song artwork or other updates and messages.
Because more stations fit onto a single frequency block, new broadcasters can now be transmitted via antenna. The FM band is overcrowded, leaving no room for new programmes. Through DAB+, Luxembourg can now offer additional stations alongside existing national and regional FM broadcasters, including stations that previously could not be received terrestrially, or only with poor quality.
Transmission power for DAB+ is set by law. For some stations, such as RTL Radio Lëtzebuerg and RTL Radio – Deutschlands HitRadio, the authorised power is lower than on FM, meaning reception may be weaker in certain areas compared to traditional FM.
DAB+ broadcasting in Luxembourg begins on 1 December 2025. At launch, three transmitters, namely Dudelange, Hosingen, and Napoleonsgaart, will cover the country. However, due to Luxembourg's topography, these transmitters alone will not guarantee full coverage.
In the Moselle valley and other deep terrain, reception may initially remain patchy. Additional transmitters will therefore be added by December 2026 to fill coverage gaps. Mobile reception will then reach 99.9% of the country.
Indoor reception can vary depending on building structure and the placement of the radio or antenna. In some cases, perfect DAB+ reception cannot be guaranteed. When this happens, moving the device closer to a window or adjusting the antenna may improve the signal.
