Senegal is set to launch commercial digital terrestrial radio on Thursday, 29 October 2026, introducing an initial line-up of 18 stations and promising listeners improved sound quality. The launch ceremony will be presided over by Bacary Sarr, minister of communication and relations with institutions, marking the transition from years of technical trials to operational service.
The network will be operated by the Société de télédiffusion du Sénégal (TDS-SA), the national transmission company already responsible for collecting, multiplexing, transporting and broadcasting digital terrestrial television signals. The expansion into radio places the new service within an established broadcast infrastructure operator rather than creating a separate transmission organisation.
A key institutional step took place on 10 September, when the telecommunications and postal regulator, the Autorité de régulation des télécommunications et des postes (ARTP), signed a transfer agreement handing the RNT infrastructure to TDS-SA. ARTP had overseen the pilot project since 2022, using the experimental phase to test equipment and technical configurations before transferring responsibility for commissioning, operation and maintenance.
The principal argument for digital radio is more efficient use of spectrum. Senegal’s FM band faces frequency constraints, while digital multiplexing enables several radio services to share transmission infrastructure. Authorities and the operator are promoting the service’s sound quality as comparable to CD audio, although the actual listening experience will also depend on reception conditions and compatible equipment.
The commercial launch is an important milestone, but several technical details remain undisclosed in the reports available ahead of the ceremony. These include the initial coverage footprint, transmitter locations, number of multiplexes and the receiver requirements for listeners. The pilot phase was conducted using DAB+, according to the regulator’s earlier communications, but further details from TDS-SA would help clarify the technical configuration of the commercial service.
For radio broadcasters, digital transmission could create opportunities to extend coverage and improve the use of scarce frequencies. A shared infrastructure model may also reduce the need for each station to operate an independent transmission network. However, the economics will depend on access fees, available capacity and the conditions under which stations can join the platform.
Community and regional broadcasters will be watching how those conditions are set. If the cost of obtaining a multiplex slot is too high, smaller stations may struggle to benefit from the new system, even as listeners gain access to a more efficient delivery platform. Questions about receiver affordability and access outside major population centres will also influence how broadly the service is adopted.
The launch therefore represents more than a technical upgrade. It begins a new phase in Senegal’s radio distribution market, with the long-term outcome depending on coverage expansion, affordable access for broadcasters and listeners, and transparent arrangements for allocating digital transmission capacity.
