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Commission to pick EU standard in global mobile TV race

Published 19 July 2007 - Updated 27 July 2007
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A Commission Communication aiming at speeding the take-up of television on mobile devices, such as cell phones, is set to anger some of the companies involved, as it favours a standard backed by European industries over rival technology widely used in Asia.

On 18 July 2007, the Commission adopted a Communication on speeding up the take-up of mobile TV across the EU. The strategy identifies four main challenges: 

Standards and interoperability: The Commission Communication presses the industry to implement mobile TV using a common standard. The Commission shows a strong preference for DVB-H technology, which it calls "the strongest contender for future mobile TV, with successful commercial launches and trials in 18 European countries, and increasingly worldwide". The Commission announced that it will soon "prepare the inclusion of DVB-H in the EU's official list of standards" (published in the EU's Official Journal).

Radio spectrum: Over the years to come, the EU will switch from analogue to digital TV. As digital TV deals with radio spectrum more economically, part of the frequencies presently used for analogue TV will be freed up. The Commission plans to use part of these frequencies - the so-called 'digital dividend' - for mobile broadcasting. This primarily concerns the UHF band (470-862 MHz) and, as a fallback, the L-band (1452-1492 MHz).

Regulatory environment: The Commission urges governments to adopt a consistent, cross-border and light-handed approach to mobile TV regulation.

Next steps: 
  • 9 July 2007: Portuguese presidency workshop on "Mobile TV - technology for the future" 
  • 2008: Commission to come forward with a regulation, possibly including, the mandatory and exclusive use of DVB-H for mobile TV.
Background: 

Conflict has developed between companies backing competing standards for mobile TV (see EurActiv, 2 July 2007). Companies such as Alcatel, Motorola, Nokia, Siemens and Thomson back the DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting for Handhelds) technology, which is already widely used in several European countries. Microsoft, Samsung, Deutsche Telekom and a number of major TV operators back the DMB standard, which is used in Asian countries, or argue that the industry is best positioned to make its choice between the two competing standards. 

Mobile TV in Europe is lagging far behind a number of Asian countries. Italy, which is the European market leader, has a penetration rate of only 1%, as compared to South Korea, where 10% of people already watch TV on their mobile devices. Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding thinks that the market for mobile TV in the EU may grow to 500 million users - and be worth €20 billion - by 2011. 

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