[opendtv] Spectrum issues haunt DVB-H in Europe

From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "OpenDTV (E-mail)" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2005 11:39:17 -0500
Spectrum issues haunt DVB-H in Europe
By Junko Yoshida , EE Times
March 04, 2005 (2:01 PM EST)
URL: http://www.eet.com/article/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=3D60405616

DUBLIN, Ireland - Despite European consumer acceptance during
trials and few technical shortcomings, DVB-Handheld for
mobile TV still lacks cohesive spectrum-planning within the
European Commission, according to participants at the DVB
World 2005 conference here this week.

Spectrum is "an absolutely critical issue," said Mike Short,
vice president of research and development at mmO2 plc, a
U.K.-based mobile operator. "We urge the EC to spend more
time on the spectrum issues."

O2, together with broadcaster NTL and Nokia will begin a
six-month consumer DVB-H trial this spring involving 250
customers in Oxford. The trio will use a single-frequency
network equipped with nine transmitters covering
120-square-kilometers.

While many DVB-H proponents are seeking temporary permission
to use certain frequencies for trials, they wonder whether
spectrum will be readily available for subsequent commercial
deployment.

DVB-H is designed for use in Band III (VHF), Band IV or Band
V. Many DVB-H system designers said Band IV between 470-650
MHz is preferred spectrum - largely because it's low enough
to offer long-distance propagation characteristics and high
enough to avoid the worst effects of man-madeinterference.
The spectrum is also the most prized for wireless radio
services.

David Wood, head of new media at the European Broadcasting
Union, noted that for DVB-H, channels 21 to 49 in particular
are considered "prime spectrum" since "below that the
[DVB-H] aerial gets too big and above that there is an
interference issue."

Using Band IV for DVB-H, however, also means that less
spectrum will be available for DVB-Terrestrial-based DTV
broadcasts in Europe.

There is an alternative scenario: DVB-H could use L-Band
(1.5 GHz) spectrum. In the U.S., Crown Castle is already
using the L-Band for its trial in Pittsburgh. Although
there are many unused frequency channels available at 1.5
GHz, L- Band in Europe is assigned to digital radio
broadcast based on the Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB)
standard. A drawback in using L-Band could be indoor
reception, said Wood. Experts added that the cost of a
transmitter network for 1.5 GHz would be much more
expensive than at UHF.

"If [there is] one thing Nokia may have underestimated
[in promoting DVB-H], it might be the spectrum issue,"
said EBU's Wood.

O2 sees DVB-H as a natural complement its own mobile
network rather than DAB, according to Short. At a time
when DAB proponents are modifying the digital radio
standard to offer mobile TV programs in direct
competition against DVB-H, Short said O2 doesn't want to
see a VHS-versus-Beta format battle on the mobile world.
EC indecision on a mobile TV standard for Europe could
leave "the worst technology in the lead," he warned.

Copyright 2003 CMP Media, LLC
 
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can UNSUBSCRIBE from the OpenDTV list in two ways:

- Using the UNSUBSCRIBE command in your user configuration settings at 
FreeLists.org 

- By sending a message to: opendtv-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word 
unsubscribe in the subject line.
[opendtv] Spectrum issues haunt DVB-H in Europe

Other related posts:
