i
c M O B I L E T V
c
Y
e
According to an estimate by MultiMedia Intelligence coverage. This spectrum situation has obliged local
(July 2008), the mobile TV and video market could players and regulators to take a consortium-based
exceed $15 billion in worldwide revenues by 2012, approach to allocate spectrum resulting in reduced
including direct pay and advertising. Together with IPTV, competition, limiting content choices for subscribers
mobile TV emerges as one of the corner stones of the and complicating the multi-party business models.
seamless multi-screen experience and nearly all 3G
operators today offer Mobile TV unicast services. While the global analogue TV switch-off will free
large amounts of spectrum, this regulatory process
is experiencing delays. Additionally, multiple wireless
Which spectrum options? applications such as Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT),
channels and mobile internet for rural areas will utilize
Using 3G technology and spectrum to deliver mobile some of the freed analogue TV spectrum in certain
TV requires no incremental infrastructure investment countries. So, depending on national policies, it will
and has been used by many mobile network operators be up to regulators and commercial players to decide
as an entry point into the business. 3G spectrum has which spectrum will be allocated for mobile TV.
been allocated and 3G networks with excess capacity
can easily accommodate additional video traffic as In the more traditional mobile/cellular frequency bands,
long as demand levels remain relatively low. But carriers could use some of the 5MHz slices of spectrum
video is a spectrum-hungry technology and revenues for mobile video broadcast based on the Multimedia
are disproportionate to bandwidth consumption. Broadcast and Multicast Services (MBMS), standard
but then mobile video is at the expense of other mobile
As 3G TV audiences increase, more 3G network resources applications like mobile internet. MBMS provides sub-
will be required at the expense of other revenue generating optimum spectrum usage performances compared
applications. While the emergence of high efficiency 4G to other broadcast technologies. This spectrum also
technologies (WiMAX/LTE), will increase total bandwidth has cost issues since it can be very expensive to
levels, video demand will still overwhelm any such unicast acquire. While some carriers have tried FDD and TDD
technology. In contrast, a dedicated broadcast network MBMS, results have generally proven disappointing.
is not sensitive to increased demand: an infinite number
of subscribers do not increase network costs. This is why Satellite bands (such as 2.2GHz and 2.6GHz), have
a dedicated multicast/broadcast technology is required proven quite interesting to consider. In many markets,
to drive mobile TV toward mass-market deployments. regulators now allow hybrid satellite/terrestrial
operations, which enable terrestrial repeaters to improve
Carriers with limited 3G spectrum and high levels of video signal coverage. There is significant unused satellite
demand or those with significant competitive pressure are spectrum providing coverage over large geographies.
candidates to deploy a broadcast mobile TV network in This spectrum is usually granted with coverage
parallel to their 3G networks, ahead of the introduction of obligations but at limited or no cost to the carrier.
4G technology. Introducing mobile TV after initial launch
over 3G allows carriers to off-load popular channels Covering all of Europe, 30MHz is available in the
from the 3G network for significant bandwidth savings. 2.2GHz spectrum (S-band). A European Selection and
Authorisation Process (ESAP), has been launched for
Different multicast/broadcast standards have satellite mobile TV in the European Union. Operators
been developed so far. When considering selected through this process may offer broadcast
technology choices, the first key question has mobile TV in the S-Band throughout all 27 EU member
to be ‘What are the spectrum options?’ states starting in 2009 - typically using DVB-SH. The
first European satellite for DVB-SH in the S-Band is
These options basically fall into three categories: planned to be launched early 2009 by Solaris Mobile,
broadcast, telecom or satellite bands. a joint venture created by Eutelsat and SES Astra.
In broadcast bands (specifically in UHF), new spectrum is
difficult to obtain and often not available on a countrywide Learning from early players
basis. In some markets, national regulators have managed
to identify one multiplex (8MHz for example in several Regarding broadcast mobile TV, Japan launched it using
European or Asian countries), with limited population ISDB-T technology; Korea rolled out a free-to-air service

Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49