The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has selected DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcast – Handheld) as the standard in Europe for mobile TV services. DVB-H leverages traditional broadcasting standards to enable the simultaneous transmission of multiple television, radio and video channels to mobile handheld devices. To receive DVB-H transmissions, handsets require an additional integrated receiver.
Nokia welcomed the ETSI agreement and said it plans to bring a commercial mobile TV handset with integrated DVB-H to market globally in 2006.
“DVB-H is a groundbreaking technology that will facilitate the widespread adoption of mobile TV around the world. We are delighted that ETSI has adopted the DVB-H standard for Europe and started the trend for the global adoption of DVB-H,” said Richard Sharp, Vice President, Rich Media, Nokia.
To overcome battery limitations and signal reception challenges, DVB-H uses a variety of techniques including time-slicing to reduce a device’s average power consumption, cell identifiers to support quicker signal scan and frequency handover as well as methods to improve signal strength in the mobile environment. DVB-H technology is being piloted in the United States by Crown Castle and Nokia. The pilot has started in October in the Pittsburgh, PA, area and it aims to prove and test the feasibility of DVB-H technology and related service systems in the U.S. http://www.nokia.com
