First DVB-SH Broadcast Mobile TV Trial in the World Blending Mobile and
Broadcast Networks
PARIS and ROME, December 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alcatel-Lucent
(Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU), the mobile operator 3 Italia and Italian
public broadcaster RAI are launching the first trial of Mobile TV based on
the DVB-SH standard in Italy.
DVB-SH (Digital Video Broadcasting - Satellite services to Handhelds)
is an evolution of DVB-H, which is providing higher spectrum efficiency and
allows integration with hybrid satellite/terrestrial networks. The trial,
based on Alcatel-Lucent's Unlimited Mobile TV solution, uses for the first
time in the world a multi-layer DVB-SH terrestrial network blending
low-power transmitters from a mobile operator and medium-power transmitters
from a broadcaster.
The trial will take place in Torino and it will be overseen by RAI
Technological Strategies Dept., Raiway SpA and RAI Research and Technology
Innovation Centre, providing their three-year-old experience in mobile-TV
field tests. Cellular sites provided by 3 Italia will allow the indoor
coverage of Torino's downtown, while broadcast towers provided by RAI and
Raiway will allow outdoor and vehicular coverage of the entire town of
Torino.
Alcatel-Lucent will provide the DVB-SH equipment, the network planning,
the network integration and the technical support required for the good
execution of the trial. Alcatel-Lucent's DVB-SH low-power repeaters will be
co-localized with the live UMTS sites of 3 Italia and connected to the UMTS
antennas.
The first phase of this trial, taking place from December 2007 to March
2008, will consist in a technology trial to validate the capability of
DVB-SH to make available a large number of high-quality mobile TV channels,
in various usage conditions. The several innovative technical
characteristics of the DVB-SH will be evaluated during this trial, which in
this first phase of the trial will be only terrestrial.
In a second phase of this trial, the broadcast signal from a satellite
will be emulated by a transmitter located in a high-altitude helicopter; in
order to study a real business situation, a sample panel of customers will
be provided with commercial DVB-SH handsets. In a longer term perspective,
tests with satellites in operation will be carried out in cooperation with
a major satellite operator.
It is expected that this trial will allow demonstrating the improved
reception quality made possible by the DVB-SH standard, thanks in
particular to improved radio performances for mobile reception (such as the
time interleaver and as the reception antenna diversity) related to the use
of the S-Band, in particular for indoor and particularly critical outdoor
reception environments.
Claudio Cappon, General Director of RAI, declared: "RAI, as part of its
public service remit, is interested to deliver to the Italian audience
high-quality mobile TV contents, based on various technologies. In this
perspective, it is our responsibility to permanently investigate new
technologies, such as DVB-SH, in order to optimize the cost-efficiency of
our broadcast services distribution to a constantly growing audience."
Olivier Coste, Chairman of Alcatel-Lucent's mobile broadcast activities
declared: "For the first time in the industry, a broadcast mobile TV trial
will showcase a network capable to satisfy the service needs of both mobile
operators and broadcasters, spanning indoor, outdoor and in-car mobile TV
usage. We are particularly excited by this unique partnership with 3 Italia
and RAI that will allow us to demonstrate the advantages for the Italian
audience of Alcatel-Lucent's Unlimited Mobile TV solution based on the
DVB-SH standard."
The S-Band spectrum (2.17-2.20 GHz) is available throughout Europe and
can be used to deploy across the whole continent mobile satellite services
such as Mobile TV. On February 14, 2007, the European Commission issued a
Decision on the harmonized use of this spectrum at the EU level, and on
August 22, 2007, the Commission adopted a proposal to select systems for
mobile satellite services. If adopted by the European Parliament and the EU
Council, this new selection mechanism will allow, from 2009, the deployment
of innovative services such as Mobile TV based on DVB-SH.
About 3 Italia
3 Italia, the Hutchison Whampoa Group's Mobile Media Company, won a
UMTS license in Italy in 2000, commenced offering its services in 2003 and
is now the leader of the UMTS market in Italy - with over 7.7 million
customers - thanks to a wide offer of multimedia, video communication and
internet services, in addition to entertainment, music, information,
cinema, sport and Mobile TV. In June 2006 3 Italia launched the first
Digital Mobile TV based on DVB-H technology in the world, establishing
itself on the cutting-edge of third generation mobile technology (3G)
development by launching in April 2006 the first HSDPA (High Speed Downlink
Packet Access) commercial offer in Italy and implementing HSUPA (High Speed
Uplink Packet Access) to access broadband in mobility with data
transmission speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps in download and 1.4 Mbps in upload.
In June 2007, 3 Italia launched X-Series, the first all-inclusive offer
that extends several of the core applications and features of the broadband
Internet to third generation mobile handsets: Instant Messaging, e-mail,
browsing, Web searching, shopping, VoIP and photosharing directly on the
videophone. For more information visit http://www.tre.it,
http://www.la3tv.it or http://www.3xseries.it.
3 Italia Press Contact
Gian Marco Litrico
Tel: + 39-02-4458-1
gianmarco.litrico@h3g.it
About RAI
RAI is the Italian public broadcaster. RAI operates TV (analogue and
DTT), radio and Internet. RAI's Technological Strategies Dept is in charge
of addressing strategic technological issues for RAI. RAI Centre for
Research and Technology Innovation is in charge for research and
development and participate to international working groups for the
standardization of new digital platforms (DVB-S2, DVB-T2, DVB-H, SH and
NGH), in strict relationship with other research centers (BBC, IRT -ARD,
SSR, ZDF- and NHK). RAI Centre for Research and Technology Innovation has
followed Mobile TV over DVB-H from the beginning in 2004, participating to
National and European Projects targeted to this technology and contributing
to standardization. The ongoing trial includes live DVB-H transmissions on
the area of Torino. Currently active demonstrators concern thematic
services automatic creation, focused on Regional News and User Generated
Contents, vehicular DVB-H applications and interaction on Wi-Fi and UMTS
networks. For more information visit http://www.rai.it .
Alcatel-Lucent Press Contacts
Regine Coqueran
Tel: + 33(0)1-40-76-49-24
regine.coqueran@alcatel-lucent.com
Stephane Lapeyrade
Tel: + 33(0)1-40-76-12-74
stephane.lapeyrade@alctel-lucent.com
Alcatel-Lucent Investor Relations
Scott Ashby
Tel: + 33(0)1-040-76-29-90
scott.ashby@alcatel-lucent.com
Maria Alcon
Tel: + 33(0)1-40-76-15-17
maria.alcon@alcatel-lucent.com
John DeBono
Tel: +1-908-582-7793
debono@alcatel-lucent.com
Tony Lucido
Tel: + 33(0)1-40-76-49-80
alucido@alcatel-lucent.com
Don Sweeney
Tel: + 1-908-582-6153
dsweeney@alcatel-lucent.com
| |
SOURCE Alcatel-Lucent
 back to top
CONTACT:
Alcatel-Lucent Press Contacts: Regine
Coqueran, Tel: + 33(0)1-40-76-49-24 ,
regine.coqueran@alcatel-lucent.com; Stephane Lapeyrade, Tel:
+33(0)1-40-76-12-74, stephane.lapeyrade@alctel-lucent.com;
Alcatel-Lucent Investor Relations: Scott Ashby, Tel:
+33(0)1-040-76-29-90, scott.ashby@alcatel-lucent.com; Maria
Alcon, Tel: +33(0)1-40-76-15-17, maria.alcon@alcatel-lucent.com;
John DeBono, Tel: +1-908-582-7793, debono@alcatel-lucent.com;
Tony Lucido, Tel: +33(0)1-40-76-49-80,
alucido@alcatel-lucent.com; Don Sweeney, Tel: + 1-908-582-6153,
dsweeney@alcatel-lucent.com; 3 Italia Press Contact: Gian Marco
Litrico, Tel: +39-02-4458-1, gianmarco.litrico@h3g.it
| |
|
