Real Decreto 958/2026 makes RTVE responsible for operating the MF-I multiple-frequency network and sets binding coverage milestones. The decree takes effect three months after publication in the BOE.
The timetable requires RTVE to cover 50% of the population within six months. At 18 months, coverage must reach 70%, including half of Spain’s provincial capitals and its motorways and dual carriageways. The 30-month target is 80% of the territory, with a signal in 70% of municipalities above 25,000 residents.
This marks a change after years of experimental broadcasts. The decree reforms the 1999 plan and sets a national framework for DAB+, while regional and local stations remain free to adopt the standard until their autonomous communities set a date. It does not schedule a near-term FM switch-off.
Private broadcasters start with a less demanding requirement: 20% coverage. The Ministry for Digital Transformation may order them to expand only after DAB+ accounts for more than 10% of radio listening in Spain.
DAB+ carries up to 12 audio channels per multiplex, compared with a maximum of six on standard DAB, according to the supplied information. It also supports programme details and album artwork on compatible receivers, along with the Automatic Safety Alert System for civil-protection and emergency messages. Listening does not require an internet connection.
For drivers, coverage is only part of the change. A receiver that supports DAB is not necessarily compatible with DAB+, so some older car radios may need an external adapter or auxiliary receiver. The supplied information says cars registered from 2020 have a digital tuner as standard; it does not establish that every such vehicle supports DAB+.
That distinction matters in a market where vehicle electronics also include systems such as those planned for Desay SV’s Linares factory: a digital display alone does not confirm that a car can receive DAB+. Smartphone compatibility remains limited, while the decree leaves FM broadcasting in place in the short term.
