Another Standard For Mobile TV Emerges

Sprint Nextel has invested $10 million in IPWireless on the basis of a new mobile TV technology, TDtv (press release). One advantage the new technology has over other technologies is that it runs on the universal unpaired 3G spectrum bands that are available across Europe and Asia at 1900MHz and 2010MHz. It also integrates into the 3G network…
It would be a terrible irony if the next big opportunity in mobile services didn’t leverage 3G or put the mobile operators in control of the service offering,” said Chris Gilbert, chief executive officer, IPWireless (as quoted in the press release). “We have received a tremendous reaction to TDtv from operators because they see the opportunity to deliver a fantastic mobile media service experience to customers and show regulators and investors that they are using and getting a return on their 3G spectrum.”
Keeping control of the broadcast by itself will make it interesting to operators…the technology offers UMTS operators “50 channels of TV for standard mobile phone screens, or 15 higher quality QVGA channels, all in their existing 5MHz of unpaired 3G spectrum”, which doubles if the operators have 10MHz of spectrum in any of the bands supported. The transmitters would be deployed on the existing base stations.
“And unlike current unicast mobile TV services that take additional network bandwidth for every subscriber using the service, TDtv leverages MBMS to allow an infinite number of customers to watch the same channel or use the same network bandwidth. Operators can also deliver digital audio or other IP data cast services to enhance their service offerings.” MBMS is a standard in UMTS supported by various groups of 3GPP.
According to the Inquirer IPWireless already has four European operators testing the system, on ein the UK. They also saw it demonstrated: “Once again, there’s no obvious deficiencies with the picture. In fact, this is the only mobile TV solution which we’ve ever heard of that will work at 200 mph.” I’d be interested in finding out how they saw it work at 200 mph.
Related stories:
Mobile broadband the 3G way
Mobile TV: Lies, Surveys and Statistics
Nokia Hits Back At “Wrong Horse” Allegations

Comments have been disabled for this post