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S-band Key to European Mobile TV, Alcatel Says

By Melanie Reynolds -- Electronics Weekly, 11/9/2006

Europe needs just one standard for mobile TV and the only one that can provide the universal coverage needed across all countries is DVB-SSP, according to Alcatel.

“[DVB-SSP] mobile TV is important for the European Union -- it is an attempt to have a harmonized deployment all across Europe,” Herbert Mittermayr, VP for marketing and sales at Alcatel Mobile Broadcast told Electronics Weekly.

“Mobile TV is not a country by country decision, it is like 3G it must be a harmonized decision,” he said.

DVB-SSP (digital video broadcasting - satellite services for portable devices) is based on DVB-H mobile TV technology which has been adapted for the S-band frequency range of 2.17GHz to 2.2GHz. This band is currently available across all of Europe. The system uses a combination of satellites and low power terrestrial repeaters.

At present several mobile TV standards are competing, including DVB-H using UHF, DMB-T and MediaFlo. Mittermayr believes this will be a problem for users if countries choose different standards.

“The danger is it’ll be a total mess. UHF there, DMB-T there, maybe MediaFlo somewhere else,” said Mittermayr. “This is happening and it’ll be a mess for Europe.”

The standard is gathering considerable support, with Samsung Electronics being the latest to announce it would develop DVB-SSP compatible handsets.

Satellite companies Eutelsat and SES Global have formed a joint venture to provide satellites that should be in position in March 2009. Mittermayr said a network of terrestrial repeaters could be constructed now and be ready for use in 2007.

“There is already a very strong financial commitment from major companies to support this technology, and to get business out of it,” said Mittermayr.

Electronics Weekly is the London-based sister publication of Electronic News, part of the EDN Network.