A grouping of mobile operators, handset manufacturers and chip developers have agreed to endorse a common mobile TV implementation based on the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) Mobile Broadcast Services Enabler Suite (BCAST) specification.
The three made features supported by the profile are:
- Advanced service and program guide (ESG) enabling a rich set of service
- Support for multiple broadcast technologies.
- Support for content and service protection, using the Smart Card Profile (based on (U)SIM Card) or the DRM Profile (based on OMA DRM V2.0)
The companies concerned; Digitenne, Ericsson, KPN, Nokia, Nokia Siemens Networks, NXP Semiconductors, Sony Ericsson, Telefónica, O2 Europe, T-Mobile, Vodafone and ZTE signalled their intention in a statement on Thursday.
“Digitenne aims to provide wholesale DVB-H services to the various mobile operators in The Netherlands,” explains Marc van Dijk, head of Business Development for Digitenne, the KPN-owned provider of the commercial digital terrestrial TV services in the Netherlands. He says the use of OMA BCAST would enable operators to run their own mobile TV business without the loss of interoperability.
Nokia’s director of multimedia Jouni Kämäräinen said there were parallels with the early days of GSM. “The great commitment in the industry for a clear implementation profile will be followed by common test practices that will create a coherent and open market for successful worldwide DVB-H deployments.”
The first interpretation of the technology will be the Mobile Broadcast Services Enabler Suite 1.0 (OMA BCAST 1.0).
About Julian Clover
"In an industry that experiences rapid change and often a confusing subsequent
constant supply of news, it is often refreshing to read an insightful perspective. Broadband
TV News and its editorial team regularly provide a context and
helpful analysis to breaking news.”
Broadband TV News is the must-read publication for those working in the Business of the Multiscreen Television. We deliver news, insight and data direct to your desktop. As well as our constantly updated website you can sign-up to our Daily and Weekly email bulletins. 
Connected TV Forecasts NEW REPORT. The number of TV sets connected to the Internet will reach 551 million by 2016 for the 40 countries covered in this report from Digital TV Research, up from 124 million at end-2010. The report states that this translates to 20% of global TV sets by 2016, up from only 6% at end-2010. Published in November 2011, this 83-page PDF report is the most geographically comprehensive to ever be published.