DVB-H services for FIFA World Cup

28 May 2006

Next month’s FIFA World Cup competition in Germany will see the start of a widescale evalution of the DVB-H system in preparation for the launch of commercial services in 2007. The German mobile network operators (E-Plus, O2, T-Mobile and Vodafone D2) will cooperate in putting services on air in four cities: Berlin, Hamburg, Hannover and Munich. T-Systems will operate the DVB-H platform along with the transmitter network. 14 TV programmes and 6 radio programmes will be included in the service. The terminals will be provided by BenQ, Motorola, Nokia, Sagem and Samsung.

One of the key aspects of this set of trial broadcasts is that the system will be compliant with DVB´s IP Datacast set of specifications. These specifications allow for the provision of such essential features as an electronic service guide (ESG), service purchase and protection (SPP) and a range of other crucial elements for a mobile TV service. As with all DVB specifications, the IP Datacast specifications are open standards and promote maximum interoperability. The DVB-H network will use QPSK with an FEC rate of 2/3.

The regional media authorities in Berlin and Brandenburg (mabb), Hamburg (HAM), Niedersachsen (NLM) and Bayern (BLM) have created the necessary conditions for the trial – in close cooperation with the mobile network operators and the content providers. They are committed to working towards a rapid market introduction.

Detailed information on DVB-H technology, trials and service launches can be found at www.dvb-h.org.