Deep Divide Over Mobile Tv Tech

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Source - http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080102/jsp/...ory_8712737.jsp

Deep divide over mobile TV tech

New Delhi, Jan. 1: Differences have emerged over the transmission of television signals on mobile phones.

Mobile equipment vendors such as Qualcomm and Nokia Siemens want the terrestrial route, while the department of space (DoS) prefers satellites.

According to A. Bhaskaranarayana, director, satellite communications programmes of the DoS, “Satellite-based services have certain unique advantages that other technologies cannot intrinsically match, particularly in India where vast swathes of remote and rural areas cannot be physically connected by other technologies, at least at a reasonable cost.”

In response to a consultation paper floated by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, Bhaskaranarayana said: “The wide reach of satellite can provide instant one-shot coverage of the entire country and can reach areas which terrestrial systems cannot reach or will take long time to reach. We strongly believe that for mobile television services, satellite will continue to play a major role.”

Globally, the DoS said, satellite technologies were enabling the delivery of multimedia services and broadband to handhelds.

Analysts said the differences were actually over equipment as the government’s preference would determine mobile companies’ choice of equipment.

Sources in the DoS said the organisation had made significant technological advances in providing similar satellite-based services in the country.

They said the DoS was developing a platform for the delivery of multimedia services, including televisions, that are cost-effective.

On the other hand, mobile equipment vendors are promoting terrestrial technologies such as MediaFLO and DVB-H (digital video broadcasting – handheld).

A Nokia Siemens official said, “DVB-H offers excellent audio and video quality and the quality of the stream can be tailored flexibly to the nature of the content thus enabling optimisation of audio-visual quality.”

Qualcomm India president Kanwalinder Singh said satellite transmissions suffered from antenna-size requirements and poor in-building coverage. “For India, with its dense population and multi-storey buildings, any mobile TV service that uses satellite transmission will need to be supplemented by terrestrial transmissions,” he said.