Author Archive
Nov
The digitization of terrestrial television broadcasting in Germany is in full swing. Efficient data rate reduction methods are used. The DVB-T system applied in Germany allows to transmit, instead of one TV channel, up to four channels per UHF slot with comparable quality. The frequency spectrum that becomes available in the course of digitization is called the “Digital Dividend”.
The World Radio Communication Conference WRC-2007 decided, based on the principle of the “Digital Dividend”, to open up the upper UHF band (790-862 MHz, channels 61-69) previously allocated to broadcast television, to IMT mobile services. As a result, this frequency range, previously assigned primarily to broadcasting, has been co-primarily allocated to mobile communications. Thus, in the future, digital terrestrial television DVB-T, on the one hand, competes in the use of spectrum with UMTS mobile telephony and broadband transmission methods such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), on the other hand.
Especially in Germany, there are aggravating circumstances in this competition: Two sections of the upper UHF range are assigned to military applications, and wireless transmissions of studio equipment (e.g. wireless microphones) must be considered as secondary users.
After the German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) has decided about auctioning the frequencies from the “Digital Dividend”, the affected parties recognize unsettled issues such as the possible radio interferences and the cost for their remedy. Criticism includes also “broadband wireless” being elected politically as the panacea for rural Internet coverage, although possible alternative transmission routes present very attractive features.
Regarding the interference problem, the opinion of VisionConsult international is that the evacuation of the frequency range from broadcast television does not mean automatically mobile services will be able to use it easily. Especially the compatibility with broadcast services needs consideration, and the interference potential on the remaining secondary users has to be investigated. In addition to compatibility issues with existing DVB-T receivers and future DVB-T / DVB-T2 receivers, compatibility between mobile services, on the one hand, and broadband cable systems (CATV networks), MATV systems for multiple dwelling units and the studio wireless transmission systems, such as wireless microphones, on the other hand, remain completely unclear. VisionConsult warns to create a status quo today with calls for tender and frequency allocations, without overseeing in its entirety the level of interferences with regard to broadcasting services and secondary users.
With respect to the the overall economic benefits of the “Digital Dividend”, as early as in the fall of 2008, VisionConsult international has carried out a multi-dimensional analysis of the potential, based on various options considering the impact on the overall economic benefits when using the frequency band 790-862 MHz for IMT mobile services, and proposed the investigation to the German Federal Network Agency in a tender. Aspects such as the contribution to GDP, creation and safeguarding of jobs, development of know-how and the sustainable development of infrastructure (urban-rural gap) were just a few of the issues taken into account.
- Bookmark :
- Digg
- del.icio.us
- Stumbleupon
- Redit it
Almost 20 million households subscribed to IPTV by the end of last year. Th is is one third more than a year ago, but the growth is much slower than some analysts predicted. Nevertheless, it can be concluded that IPTV has achieved a significant increase. In 2005, there were estimates of 25 million subscribers worldwide in 2010; this number is still reachable. However, some predictions were about 50 or 60 million subscribers in 2010.
According to Informa Telecoms and Media, there were 19.96 million IPTV households at the end of the year 2008, representing approximately 3% of the global multichannel TV market. As in the past, growth was steady but not spectacular; 7.5 million additional subscribers were registered.
“It is a correct observation that IPTV has not penetrated into the broadband households, as market participants had expected, but it is wrong to declare that the concept is doomed to failure,” said Julian Herbert, Principal Analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media on the eve of the IPTV World Forum in London.
“In markets where bandwidth is available and the marketing and pricing are attractive, IPTV attracts large numbers of new customers and helps operators to increase revenue per user”.
Operators such as AT & T, France Telecom and PWCC in Hong Kong increase substantially their shares in the competitive TV market. Meanwhile, the number of fixed network broadband subscriptions rose to 422 million. This means an increase of 68 million last year.
The growth has slowed in Western Europe, as broadband penetration has reached more than 50% - with the exception of five countries - and more than 60% in 20 areas. China has outdated the United States as the largest fixed-line broadband market with 82 million subscriptions, although this figure accounts for still less than 20% of all Chinese households.
- Bookmark :
- Digg
- del.icio.us
- Stumbleupon
- Redit it
Category