Both sides of the Atlantic, some regulatory snags might come up in efforts of media and telecom companies to develop mobile TV services.
– BW: In U.S., TV spectrum is a big issue. As current broadcasters go all-digital and relinquish their analog airwaves, that spectrum would be up for grab, and companies like Qualcomm and other mobile operators or even Hollywood would and could make a bid, with an eye on delivering streaming mobile TV. Qualcomm is pouring $800 million into its MediaFLO USA subsidiary to push its mobile TV initiative. More spectrum could prove useful if it comes on tap.
– Register: In UK, where you require a license to get regular TV (to fund BBC), as TV gets ported to mobiles and PC, emerging confusion on whether you need to keep paying that license fee. The current law: if it is live or near live, concurrent with TV signal, you need to pay that license fee. But UK media regulator Ofcom is due to look at over the next year or so.
Whatever the debates, expect us to keep following it…
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