Companies plan to build national mobile TV distribution system

Samsung Electronics [1], MobiTV [2], Nokia Siemens Networks [3], Rohde & Schwarz [4] and SES Americom's IP-Prime [5] announced a plan yesterday at the Consumer Electronics Show [6] (CES) to build a national mobile TV distribution system in the U.S.

The plan includes using the platform to showcase a complete mobile TV technology solution this year, with consumer trials planned in U.S. cities at a later, unspecified date.

The platform is designed to deliver local and national programming and interactive applications to consumers on mobile devices.

The platform will utilize Advanced Vestigal Side Band (A-VSB) – which is a mobile digital-TV technology developed by Samsung, Rohde & Schwarz and Nokia – as well as local TV “in-band” spectrum to deliver the mobile TV services.

The A-VSB technology is under consideration by the Advanced Television Systems Committee [7] (ATSC) as an open standard for mobile broadcast TV.

More Broadband Direct:

• Convergence tops CES agenda, Martin continues cable assault [8] 

• FCC, itself being investigated; to look into Comcast flap [9] 

• SeaChange inks VOD agreement with Top 5 cable op [10] 

• Verizon starting to deploy G-PON [11] 

• Tech Emmys handed out [12] 

• AT&T predicts slower sales on consumer side [13] 

• NCTA’s CableTechTalk blog discusses broadband technology market [14] 

• Companies plan to build national mobile TV distribution system [15] 

• Broadband Briefs for 1/09/08 [16]