The Digital Dividend Opportunities and challenges for future Broadcasting Services

1
The Digital DividendOpportunities and
challenges for future Broadcasting Services

• Daniel Sauvet-Goichon (TDF, France)
• DigiTAG Chairman
• Sarajevo, 30 March 2006

2
What is DigiTAG ?

• A non profit association formed in 1996, in the
  vicinity of the DVB project and the EBU, in
  Geneva
• To promote and help Digital Terrestrial
  Television start in Europe
• Created by 70 member organisations from 4
  constituencies
• Broadcasters (public, commercial, private)
• Manufacturers equipment and consumer products
• Network and transmission operators
• Broadcast regulators and frequency spectrum
  administrations

3
Overview of the presentation

• I - Boarding to the future
• High Definition TV
• TV to mobiles
• II - The European Spectrum Dividend question
• III - So what?

4
Part I
DTT boarding to the future
Starting DTT opens doors to
5
HDTV (High definition TV)
Question 1How long will DTT remain SD?
6
Question 1How long will DTT remain SD?
Wide screen flat displays are there!
7
Question 1How long will DTT remain SD?
Blu - ray Disc and HD DVH are almost there!
8
Question 1How long will DTT remain SD?
Consumers will soon become HD producers
9
Question 1How long will DTT remain SD?
European consumers are made aware of HD
10
DTT boarding to the future

• Question 1 How long will DTT remain standard
  quality (SD)?
• Answer DTT provides flexibility to start SD and
  move progressively towards HDTV
• First multiplexes may stay SD for some time
• New future multiplexes will provide HDTV
  possibilities
• This may imply keeping some flexibility in your
  technical choices

such as (for example)
11
Choose right parametersMPEG2 or MPEG 4?
French example
12
Choose right parametersMPEG2 or MPEG 4?
French example
STB Set Top Box
Balance STB cost versus capacity
13
Mobile TVDVB-H (Handheld devices)
Question 2Will mobile TV be an overwhelming
success?
14
Question 2Will mobile TV be an overwhelming
success?

• Japon
• ISDB-T,
• Mobile Broadcasting Co (MBCO), S-DMB

• South Korea
• Korean broadcast networks, T-DMB
• TU Media, SK Telecom, S-DMB

• China
• Marco Polo DVB-H project

• USA
• Qualcomm, Mediaflo,
• Crown Castle

• Taiwan
• Chunghwa Telecom/Nokia/CMC Magnetics, DVB-H,

• Caption
• Commercial launch
• Pre commercial launch
• Pilot project
• Project study

• Singapour
• MediaCorpTV, ISDB-T, 2004
• Nokia, MediaCorp, DVB-H

• Australie
• DVB-H, Canal 29 Sydney,

15
Question 2Will mobile TV be an overwhelming
success?

• Légende
• Commercial pre-launch
• Pilot project
• Project study

• Finland
• Finish Mobile TV, Digita, DVB-H,

• UK
• NTL, DVB-H, Oxford

• Germany
• BMCO, DVB-H, Berlin

• France
• TDF, DVB-H, 2005
• TowerCast, DVB-H, 2005
• TPS Orange ByTel TDF, DVB-H

• Switzerland
• Swisscom, DVB-H, Berne. 2006

16
Question 2Will mobile TV be an overwhelming
success?
Focus on the Finnish experiment

• Commercial pilot test in Finland during March
  June 2005
• 500 test users of different ages
• Coverage of the Helsinki Metropolitan area
• Pilot users paid for the basic network access fee
  (4.90)

17
Question 2Will mobile TV be an overwhelming
success?
Mobile TV
Source Finnish mobile TV research international
18
Question 2Will mobile TV be an overwhelming
success?

• When traveling using public transportation

• When at home

• When at work

Source Finnish mobile TV research international
19
Question 2Will mobile TV be an overwhelming
success?

• What type of content?

20
Question 2Will mobile TV be an overwhelming
success?

• Interest

21
Question 2Will mobile TV be an overwhelming
success?

• DVB-H handbook available at www.digitag.org

22
DTT boarding to the future

• Question 2 Will mobile TV be an overwhelming
  success
• Answer most probably YES
• A word of caution Mobile TV is a broadcasting
  service (one to many). It is not transmission of
  video content thru a personal mobile
  communication (one to one) which would be much
  more expensive

But have we got enough frequencies?
23
Have we got enough frequencies for future uses?
ITU Regional frequency planning conference RRC 04
06 has part of the answer
but there is more
24
The EuropeanSpectrum Dividendquestion
Part II
A challenge for future broadcasting services
25
An EC objectiveGet a Digital Dividend
RSPG04-55
Using less spectrum in UHF/VHF bands,
Broadcasting digitisation provides a spectrum
dividend which represents a value in each Member
State that could be used to meet economic, social
and cultural objectives
26
RSPG answer (2004) The spectrum dividend
Digitisation leaves an undecided but
considerable amount of spectrum in the relevant
bands for more services such as broadcasting or
other telecommunications services

• How much spectrum?
• For what purpose?
• Who will decide?

Will UHF bands IVV remain Broadcasting only?
27
Digital Dividend The controversy actors
Mobile operators
Broadcasters
Regulators
Other
28
Digital Dividend Broadcasters
We need whole bands IV and V!
29
Digital Dividend Broadcasters

• Will RRC06 leave unplanned / unused spectrum?
• Will RRC06 fulfil mobile / handheld needs?

Certainly not! RRC06 has the mandate to Plan the
whole UHF range
Not satisfactorily! None of the planned service
types corresponds
30
Digital DividendTelcos

• Get more frequency bands to develop by themselves
• UK already indicated around 14 UHF channels may
  become available when the last analogue service
  is switched off
• ITU WRC 2010 already has an agenda item to
  consider allocations to the mobile service in
  band 806 862 MHz in Region 1, following the
  transition from analogue to digital TV

Reallocation of UHF spectrum Confrontation with
Broadcasting Service
How can we avoid it?
31
Regulators New frequency management methods
Are we interested, prepared or waiting to buy or
trade some released UHF spectrum dividend?
This could become reality in some of our countries
32
Regulators New frequency management methods
UK an extreme?

• Spectrum Framework Review, June 2005
• Let market competition decide about spectrum use
• This is Technological neutrality valuation
  market tools

Most European Regulators are more cautious!
33
Digital Dividend Other
They often say
Large part of frequency spectrum is empty! Even
in the Broadcasting UHF spectrum!
This may be true in parts of Northern America
with a very light density of broadcasting
transmitters, but I do not believe it applies in
most of the European area!
Plus a new paradigm
Software radio and Cognitive radio can sense
where to operate without causing interference
34
Digital Dividend Other

• Practical implementation in UHF

35
Other Could this happen in Europe?
Perhaps on a small scale

• Already wireless microphones are in use in VHF /
  UHF
• It has to be studied by Broadcasters, at least to
  be sure that their services are appropriately
  protected

36
So what?
37
So what? Facts and certainties

• The ITU RCC06 Plan will use the whole VHF UHF
  spectrum
• Politicians (EC) will not give up the Digital
  Spectrum Dividend topic and profits
• Cooperation between Telcos and Broadcasters is
  the best path towards multimedia to mobile
  devices. It avoids unnecessary confrontation

These imply
38
ConclusionDont miss the train!
39
Contact us

• Website www.digitag.org
• Project office projectoffice_at_digitag.org
• Subscribe to our monthly web letter with news
  information on the DTT market