The European Commission has finally given its official approval to DVB-H. The mobile TV technology has been added to the EU List of Standards as part of a move towards providing a single market for mobile TV in Europe.
“For Mobile TV to take off in Europe, there must first be certainty about the technology. This is why I am glad that with today’s decision, taken by the Commission in close coordination with the Member States and the European Parliament, the EU endorse DVB-H as the preferred technology for terrestrial mobile broadcasting,” said Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for the Information Society and Media.
Although DVB-H is the most widely used standard for mobile TV in the EU – commercial services are already on-air in Italy and further launches are expected in Finland, Austria, France, Switzerland and Spain – the viability of mobile TV services are beginning to be called into question.
Heavily backed by Nokia, there are other technical systems in the market for mobile TV, including the proprietary Qualcomm MediaFLO.
