Commission to pick EU standard in global mobile TV race

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.

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