Nokia joins Australian mobile TV trial

Stan Beer
Wednesday, 25 May 2005 09:01

IT Industry - Development

Nokia has joined forces with The Bridge Networks to become the service system and handset provider for Australia's first mobile TV trial.

In October 2004, The Bridge Networks obtained approval from the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) to conduct Australia's first trial of DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld) technology. The Sydney-based trial is expected to commence in mid 2005 with over 500 users.

The trial users will be able to view real-time TV programs on a Nokia 7710 smartphone equipped with a special accessory to receive mobile TV broadcasts. The Nokia 7710 smartphone also enables direct links to the internet for access to background information on TV programs or sports results.

Nokia provides the end-to-end solution for DVB-H based mobile TV comprised of network infrastructure, mobile phones and service server platform. The focal point of the solution, the service system manages the broadcast of content from various content providers to consumer handsets through the DVB-H network platform.

DVB-H is a new technology that allows simultaneous transmission of multiple channels of television, radio, video, audio and IP data to a range of multi-media devices including mobile phones, PDAs, PCs and other handheld devices.

'Our aim with this trial is to prove and test the feasibility of DVB-H technology and related service systems in Australia and to test consumer experiences and acceptance of mobile phone TV service,' said Darren Kirsop-Frearson, managing director, The Bridge Networks
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'The mobile TV trial, our collaboration with The Bridge Networks, and the provision of infrastructure, the devices and the service system to aggregate the content is indicative of Nokia's commitment to Mobile TV in Australia,' said Shaun Colligan, general manager, Nokia Australia.

DVB-H is part of the DVB-T standard that is currently used to deliver terrestrial digital television in Australia. DVB-H makes possible the delivery of TV, radio and data content to handheld devices and is specifically designed to optimise battery life by using a technique known as 'time-slicing'. DVB-H uses MPEG-4, Windows Media 9, AAC and similar advanced video and audio coding and compression technologies to enable a considerable reduction in the band-width required to deliver an acceptable quality of service to small-screen devices.

Mobile TV services using DVB-H technology are currently being piloted in many countries around the world. Commercial mobile TV services are expected to start in 2006.