Mobile TV -- basically an application that enables television services on handhelds such as mobiles, handheld TVs, car TV, GPS terminals, game devices, laptop PCs, and other portable devices -- is a step closer to seeing the light of day in India.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has already initiated the process, and received feedback from around 30 telecom players, broadcasters, technology providers and direct-to-home players.
Most private telecom operators, like Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices, and bodies like the Cellular Operators of India and Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India have said the existing licenses should suffice since they provide for mobile TV services.
Non-telecom licensees would need a separate license, they suggest.
Potential entrants have also requested a level playing field and "neutrality" when it comes to choosing an appropriate technology and transmission route (satellite or terrestrial) for mobile TV services.
In Europe, though, mobile TV is described as a broadcast and not telecom service.
"A true TV service should be based on handsets with built-in TV antennas/front-ends capable of providing a live transmission. It is expected that most of cellular-based mobile TV services will be either downloaded or streamed, as live-stream is not broadcast-efficient over such networks," explains Rajiv Khattar, president (projects), Dish TV (Essel Group), in his comments to Trai.
In India, UK-based mobile applications developer ROK Entertainment Group has launched its streamed mobile TV system (called Tiny TV) through BSNL.
Public broadcaster Doordarshan has also launched a mobile TV pilot project, and is in the process of rolling out commercial services. Meanwhile, in its comments submitted to Trai, RCom has urged the government to treat all technologies at the same level "so that stakeholders have a choice of selecting the technology most suited to their consumers and their business interest."
There are a number of technologies available including T-DAB, T-DMB, DAB-IP, DVB-H, DVB-SH, and Media-FLO -- that have been deployed in different parts of the world in various spectrum bands.
RCom notes that deployment of a combination of technologies may be needed for optimum resource utilisation. For instance, hybrid terrestrial/satellite systems are being used to provide mobile multimedia services in several regions including the US, Japan and Korea.
These hybrid systems use a satellite component covering the geography of the service area, and terrestrial repeaters providing complementary coverage in specific areas, such as dense urban areas, where the satellite-only reception is subject to blockage by buildings or natural obstacles.
Therefore, telecom operators have said, specifying a particular technology would hinder implementing such innovative mechanisms to offer services.