Dick Smith has released the results of an online survey that asked shoppers about their awareness of digital radio, which officially launched nationwide today. Sixty nine per cent of people polled were aware of what digital radio is; an increase of 30 percent since the last survey in April 2009. Seventy seven per cent of people surveyed said they are likely to upgrade to digital radio in the near future

Most of the people surveyed listened to their current radios for between one and two hours per day, with 54 per cent listening to the radio predominantly in the car. While 48 percent of respondents said they would consider upgrading their car stereos to support digital radio in one to two years, no DAB+ headunits are available in Australia. The Pure Highway, adds an external receiver for digital radio but cars must have a compatible audio input port or tune in to the Highway using lower-quality FM analog radio.

Cost is another barrier to upgrades, with over two thirds of consumers not willing to spend $150 or more to purchase a digital radio receiver. Current receivers on the Australian market, such as the Sangean DPR-99 and Pure ONE Classic, are priced well above $150.