Smart joins global initiative to launch new mobile TV handsets

MANILA, Philippines - Smart Communications Inc. has joined 14 service providers and broadcast network operators worldwide in launching an initiative that will help speed up the market introduction of new mobile television-ready handsets.

The initiative was launched at the Broadcast Mobile Convergence Forum (bmcoforum) held in Berlin, Germany recently. Another Philippine company, ePLDT subsidiary Mediaquest Holdings, joined the campaign.

“Promotion of broadcast mobile TV should be experiential to highlight its high quality video and audio. This is where device manufacturers play a crucial role in providing the market with low cost units to encourage first time users to experience broadcast mobile TV and become the catalyst for vital growth,” Smart chief wireless advisor and Mediaquest CEO Orlando Vea said.

Smart and Mediaquest’s partners include 3, Orange and Media Broadcast from Austria, 3 Italy, Media Broadcast from Germany, Antenna Hungaria, Dominanta and KENTAVR from Russia, DStv Mobile from Nigeria, Ghana, Namibia and Kenya, Safaricom from Kenya, Digita from Finland, INFO-TV-FM from Poland, and KPN from the Netherlands.

These companies have jointly signed a letter that requests the update of mobile phone roadmaps and an offer to discuss the development of common handset requirements based on the bmcoforum published profiles. The objective is to come up with a variety of DVB-H (digital video broadcasting-hand held enabled devices available as soon as possible, preferably for the FIFA Football World Cup in the second quarter of 2010.

All signatories run or will provide commercial DVB-H services and networks for mobile TV in the short term. So far, they have invested substantial amounts in the development of mobile TV via DVB-H in their respective countries.

But all of them have expressed concern over the lack of substantial roadmaps for new DVB-H phones which bears a serious risk for the market success of the technology.

Within the bmcoforum, the companies also agreed on actions which will support the vendors in the introduction of new devices in their markets.

“Mobile TV is for a mass market audience which needs to be served by a wide range of attractive devices,” according to Marco Visser, director of KPN Mobile.

Meanwhile, DStv Mobile Africa CEO Francois Theron pointed out that the FIFA World Cup may give a push to mobile TV usage across the African countries. “For that we need affordable devices with integrated DVB-H receivers,” he added.

“Mobile TV has finally turned into a realistic expectation for Russian subscribers, especially after recently overcoming key regulatory barriers. This should translate directly into higher profits for manufacturers through expansion of product lines as well as for operators attracting new subscribers and increasing ARPU,” said Andrey Chernikov, CEO of Dominanta LLC (Russia).

For his part, TDF Group CEO Patrick Babin said they see an increasing potential for broadcast mobile networks to deliver mobile TV services in a highly cost effective manner and with a high standard of quality and availability.

“This potential will only be unlocked by an improved visibility of suitable devices. A renewed dialogue between service providers and the leading handset brands will provide this visibility,” he noted.

The bmcoforum is an international non-profit organization designed to shape open markets for media delivery. It addresses the use of personal mobile devices in delivering relevant audiovisual content and services wherever, whenever by the best delivery channel.