The French media authority CSA has announced that a licence has been issued to Virgin and the transmitter company TDF to launch a mobile TV service. The move means an end to the deadlock situation of mobile TV in the country.
It is also remarkable as Virgin Mobile is a Virtual Mobile Operator with its own GSM network. Until now, there was an impasse, with both the mobile operators and the broadcasters unwilling to take the risk of building a dedicated network (DVB-H).
The CSA will now nominate a multiplex operator before June 8 . A total of 13 private and three public channels are designated to become part of the mobile offer.
Virgin Mobile in France is a brand of Omer Telecom, which operates in France under the brand names Virgin Mobile, Tele2 Mobile, Breizh Mobile and Casino Mobile. On Thursday, April 22, TDF announced the agreement with the company to roll out mobile TV in 2011.