Solaris Mobile starts four-month trial

Alcatel-Lucent, Solaris Mobile and towerCast have announced the first satellite broadcast infrastructure to demonstrate the potential services of mobile TV, digital radio and data using the digital video broadcasting satellite service to handhelds (DVB-SH) standard to be deployed in Paris and surrounding suburbs.

Using the DVB-SH standard in S-band, a four month trial offering a hybrid satellite/terrestrial system will benefit from the use of a satellite to attain coverage even for rural areas. In places where satellite reception is not possible, especially indoors , service availability will be secured by using terrestrial repeaters.

Alcatel-Lucent will provide the DVB-SH network integration and terrestrial repeaters that are installed on the four towerCast sites. Eutelsat will provide the channel multiplex platform to supply the terrestrial repeaters. The same channels will also be distributed directly by the W2A satellite to mobile devices.

Solaris Mobile has vehicles with equipment from DVB-SH players. Antennas are designed by the company Calearo and receptors are produced by Quantum, incorporating a chip DVB-SH developed by Dibcom.