Workshop on Mobile Television
Aveiro, 9 July 2007
Regulation
- A regulatory framework is needed that has the stability to encourage investment, but which at the same time is flexible enough to promote innovation;
- Mobile television is a paradigmatic example of a convergent platform that brings different types of stakeholders closer together, promoting ''interconnection'' between them;
- This convergence raises a challenge for regulation, which, while not obstructing this process, must continue promoting open and competitive markets;
- Certain difficulties exist in the availability of VHF and UHF spectrum to support mobile television, especially in a harmonised form across Europe and particularly before the switch-off of the analogue terrestrial system. The Commission considers, however, 2008 a key year for driving mobile television forwards; this requires a more coherent and pro-active policy for its promotion and, specifically for identifying the frequency bands available, in the context of the digital dividend;
- It is important to reflect on the conditions applicable to the introduction of mobile television, specifically with regard to coverage and in view of the need to provide, at least in an initial phase, conditions that allow operations to consolidate, while not losing sight of the fact that it should not contribute to widening the digital divide.
Technology
- There is an extensive range of standards suitable for supporting mobile television, some of which will probably coexist in the future. However, the tonic seems to be on DVB-H, particularly following the recent Commission Communication on the matter.
- Beside other technologies already available, including with commercial offers (such as T-DMB, DAB-IP, ISDB-T or MediaFLO) DVB-SH has the aim of being an alternative for supporting mobile television, conciliating a terrestrial component with satellite in a spectrum band with more availability (Band S), but at a cost , perhaps, less appealing for investors;
- It is fundamental to ensure interoperability between standards from the offset, with an emphasis on the level of services rather than on physical aspects, without which efforts to harmonise the frequencies to be used will be in vain;
- Harmonisation may be extremely beneficial, but is not consensual that could mean exclusive access to the spectrum by one specific technology, and as such potentially hindering innovation;
- Although it is not necessary to impose a standard for the time being, the industry could be encouraged to work together in order to ensure the availability of a standard with European implementation.
Business / Market
- There is demand for mobile television services, with consumers appearing willing to pay up to around 15 euros/month to access the service, but with some advocating space for free-access services, naturally supported by advertising revenue and despite their greater saturation.
- Most revenue projections forecasts very attractive levels of turnover (7 to 9 billion euros for 2010-2011, based on around 335 million customers, according to the Commission), but with notable differences in the values put forward;
- Cooperation (even though in a perhaps difficult balance with competition) between the various types of stakeholders is key (particularly between broadcasters and mobile operators). It is also essential the mutual understanding of the various realities and problems; although a content provider will generally prefer systems with restricted access, it should understand that this is a different market, while mobile operators need to recognise that the security of premium contents is a crucial element of the contents owner's business;
- It is probable that the offer to the end user will evolve along the lines of a simultaneous unicast/broadcast service, exploiting the complementarities between the two systems in terms of coverage, quality of service (QoS), number of channels, potential for VoD, number of users supported and equipment penetration;
- DVB-H's window of opportunity as a mobile television standard appears to have arrived, although, so far, only Italy has managed to start a commercial operation.
Content
- The emergence of mobile television requires a lighter access regime and softer regulation of its activity;
- It is important to reflect on the possible role and status of public service broadcasters in a mobile television platform;
- The concept of prime time could be evolving and leading to greater segmentation with repercussions especially for businesses supported by advertising revenue;
- The new audiovisual services directive (to be adopted formally in September 2007 and to be transposed by 2009) has the aim of making an important contribution to the promotion of mobile television, reinforcing the principle of technological neutrality and establishing a range of basic principles applicable to most audiovisual services (including non-linear) and a simplified set of obligations applicable only to linear services;
- It is important to reflect on the copyright policy to be applied to mobile television; while the legitimate rights of content producers need safeguarding, it must not make the sustainability of operations unviable;
- Mobile television needs new content or new formats of existing content, necessarily adapted to a more personalised form of access, for shorter periods of time and in a wider range of situations than access to conventional television.
In summary, the great interest surrounding mobile television and its enormous potential is confirmed by the ideas put forward, the level of debate and the large number of participants; this raises great and immediate challenges for operators, content producers and regulators.
The technology is effectively already available, as was demonstrated during the exhibition, but it is important to set out positioning, select business models and suitable partners, produce appealing services and programmes adapted to the new reality and to conceive a regulatory framework (for both infrastructure and content) that promotes investment and innovation, as well as to identify the radio spectrum resources that are indispensible for the support of the operation.
These conclusions will be presented at the Conference ''Regulating Convergence - Converging Regulation'', being held in Lisbon on 28 September 2007 as part of the Portuguese Presidency programme.
The Portuguese Presidency will contribute to a consensus at European level on the different options put forward by Mobile TV, above all at a policy level, through the adoption, by the EU Council of Telecommunications, of Conclusions on Mobile TV and on the WRC-07 (World Radiocommunications Conference of ITU - International Telecommunications Union).
