DigiTAG

Web Letter

February 2006 | # 48

DigiTAG seeks to inform members and non-members about important developments in the digital terrestrial television market. Each month, DigiTAG distributes its web letter with news updates and further exploration of one topic. With the 3GSM show taking place in Barcelona, we have decided to provide an update on the status of DVB-H services this month.

To subscribe to the DigiTAG Web Letter, send an email to the DigiTAG Project Office.

An update on mobile broadcasting television services

Broadcasting to handheld devices has reached a new level of development. No longer limited to technical trials, such services are beginning to reach viewers. Already, T-DMB services have been launched in Korea while several countries are planning to launch DVB-H services this year. Finland, Italy, Germany and the United States have announced their DVB-H launch plans.

These developments demonstrate the interest generated by such services as well as the confidence that the tools needed to make these service happen (frequencies, chips, receivers, content) will soon be available in the necessary quantities.

Italy to begin DVB-H in 2006

In October 2005, Mediaset announced its plans to launch a DVB-H service in Italy in the second half of 2006. While Mediaset is partnering with the mobile operator Telecom Italia Mobile (TIM) for the UMTS network, the DVB-H platform will be open to other mobile operators.

Mediaset obtained the necessary broadcast frequencies through its acquisition of Europe TV. However, AGOM, the national regulator for competition, recently opened an enquiry to determine whether this acquisition is permissible on the basis that it may give Mediaset a dominant position in the television market. The conclusion of the preliminary investigation is expected by the end of March.

A similar DVB-H service announcement has been made by the UMTS service provider 3 Italia. Through its acquisition of the commercial broadcaster Canale 7, 3 Italia possesses the necessary broadcast frequencies to be able to provide DVB-H services. The services are also expected to be launched in 2006.

Broadcasting to mobiles in Germany

Launch plans for DVB-H and T-DMB services have been announced in Germany. Regulators have agreed to allocate nationwide licences for both mobile broadcast standards and services are expected to be launched in 2006. Because frequencies are managed by the Länder (States), applicants for the licences will need to submit applications for approval by each individual Land.

Baden-Württemberg, a medium-sized but important area in the south west of Germany, became the first Land to invite tenders for its T-DMB licence. By the closing deadline, it had received applications from anixe TV, Mobiles Fernsehen Deutschland (MFD), walk'n watch Gesellschaft für mobiles Fernsehen, and Western Star. These four companies will be the only service providers eligible to acquire the T-DMB licence currently available in Germany.

At the end of 2005, the broadcast regulator in Hamburg issued its invitation to tender for the licence for the DVB-H trial that will be launched in Hamburg, Berlin and Hannover. It is expected that the trial will serve as the precursor to the commercial launch of DVB-H services. Seven companies have applied for the DVB-H licence including E-Plus Mobilfunk, MFD, NEVA Media, O2 Germany, T-Mobile Deutschland, T-Systems Business Services, and Vodafone D2.

T-DMB services will likely provide viewers with 4 television and 2 radio services while DVB-H services could provide over 20 television and radio services. It is hoped that the T-DMB and DVB-H services will be available in time for the World Cup in June 2006.

Finland ready to licence a DVB-H network

In November 2005, the Finnish Ministry of Transportation and Communication invited candidates to tender for a DVB-H network licence. The licence holder will manage a DVB-H network with a 70% population coverage for a maximum period of 20 years.

The government received applications from Elisa Corporation, Digita Oy, TeliaSonera Finland Oyj and Telemast Nordic Oy, by the 31 January deadline and will now need to decide which applicant will receive the licence.

United States announces DVB-H roll-out

Following on the results of its DVB-H pilot undertaken in Pittsburgh , Modeo (a subsidiary of Crown Castle International) announced plans to roll out DVB-H services in 30 markets across the United States. The services will be launched in 5MHz of the L-Band since Modeo holds a nationwide licence for this frequency.

Further impetus has been given to DVB-H by the creation of the Mobile DTV Alliance. Founded by Intel, Modeo, Motorola, Nokia, and Texas Instruments, the Mobile DTV Alliance will promote DVB-H services in North America.

A competing system for broadcasting services to mobile receivers has been developed by Qualcomm. MediaFLO, a proprietary system currently in the standardisation process, will likely be launched by Verizon Wireless and Qualcomm in the United States in 2006. Qualcomm has been licensed spectrum at around 700 MHz frequency for the roll-out of its services. As per the current information available on MediaFLO, it closely resembles the technology developed for DVB-H but is claimed that it will require less transmitter power for the same coverage.

Further information on DVB-H

DVB-H trials have been undertaken in over 20 countries around the world.

For more information on these trials, please see the website dedicated to DVB-H developed by the DVB Project: http://www.dvb-h-online.org/.

Source: Natalie Mouyal, DigiTAG Project Office

About DigiTAG

DigiTAG aims to encourage and facilitate the implementation and introduction of digital terrestrial television services using the Digital Video Broadcasting Project's Standard (DVB-T). It has some 60 members from broadcasting, network operators, regulatory, and manufacturing organisations throughout Europe and beyond.

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DTT NEWS ROUND-UP

For all articles, please go to DigiTAG News

United States - Analogue switch-off in 2009

President Bush has signed into law a budget bill that includes a provision establishing 17 February 2009, as the date for analogue switch-off.

The bill also allocates up to $1.5 billion to consumers for the purchase of set-top boxes.

Source: advanced-television.com

Czech Republic - DTT coverage extended

The coverage of DTT services in the Czech Republic has been extended to 35% of the population. As of 9 February, DTT services are now available in the cities of Brno and Ostrava.

DTT services were first launched in Prague on 21 October 2005. Viewers can access three television programme services made available by Czech Television which include the generalist services CT1 and CT2 as well as its continuous news service CT24.

To coincide with the start of the Winter Olympic Games, Czech Television has launched a new digital service, CT4 SPORT, dedicated to sports coverage. This service is available on the DTT platform as of 10 February.

Source: Czech Television

Turkey – DTT trials begin

DTT trials have begun in Turkey. Broadcasts started in Ankara and Istanbul on 3 February.

The trial provides four television programme services. One service is dedicated to the national public broadcaster TRT while the remaining three services are rotated between commercial broadcasters.

Source: Digitv-tr

United Kingdom - FilmFour to launch on DTT platform

Channel 4 has confirmed plans its plans to launch FilmFour as a free-to-air service on the DTT platform in July. It will provide viewers with six movie—classics and Hollywood releases every day from 15.00 - 3.00.

FilmFour was first launched in 1998 as a subscription service. However, Channel 4 CEO, Andy Duncan, hopes that advertising revenues will exceed subscription income generated from FilmFour's subscribers.

Channel 4 has learnt from the experience of its entertainment service E4, which launched as a subscription channel but became free-to view as of last May. E4's advertising revenues are expected to double to £90m per year by 2007.

The service will also be available free of charge on the satellite and cable platforms.

Source: DTG website

Finland - Fifth multiplex to be licenced

The Ministry of Transport and Communications has announced plans to grant a licence for a fifth multiplex. The new licence will focus specifically on the transmission of Swedish television programmes.

Applicants should submit an expression of interest to the Ministry by mid-February while the completed application must be submitted by 1 May.

A fourth network licence for television service had been announced in November 2005.

Source: Broadband TV News

EC calls for voluntary use of interactive television standards

The European Commission has decided that compulsory technical standards imposed by regulators are not necessary for the roll-out of interactive digital television services in Europe.

Rather, the EC believes that the market is best served by voluntary and industry-led standardisation initiatives.

The EC has concluded that mandating a particular EU-wide technical standard is not necessary since Europe’s digital television market is dynamic, and already benefits from a range of robust digital television standards.

In Europe, over 47 million digital receivers are in use, of which about 26 million have a proprietary API and about 4 million are MHP-enabled. MHP is recognised by the EC as an open, interoperable standard. However, the growth of interactive television services has been slower than expected.