Nokia Siemens, Qualcomm differ on mobile TV tech

Nokia Siemens, Qualcomm differ on mobile TV tech
New Delhi, Oct 28 Even as telecom operators are fighting over spectrum, equipment vendors, Nokia Siemens and Qualcomm, are pitched against each other over choosing the best technology for mobile TV services. While Nokia Siemens has told the Indian telecom regulator that the use of DVB-H technology should be encouraged, Qualcomm has said that individual operators should be given the freedom to choose the technology they want to deploy for offering broadcasting services on mobile handsets.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is in the process of finalising its policy with regard to mobile TV and had issued a consultation paper seeking views on whether technology should be regulated or be left to market forces.
Nokia Siemens opinion
In response, Nokia Siemens said, “Technology has been regulated mainly in areas of broadcasting. Technologies such as DVB-H have ensured that television can now fit into our pockets, be our constant companion and entertain us at all times. The industry has worked over a decade to come to this stage and in the process, DVB-H has clearly emerged as a standard that has found maximum acceptability.”
Qualcomm response
However, Nokia Siemen’s global rival Qualcomm has warned against settling on one standard as such a move will be against user interest as well as against sound regulatory practices.
“The technology for the mobile television service should not be regulated and the technology choice be left to the service provider. In case of mobile TV services, various access options exist and are supported by multiple technologies simultaneously in several countries. Therefore, it is highly likely that multiple mobile TV technologies will coexist together seamlessly in the market place,” Qualcomm said in its response to the TRAI paper.
Qualcomm pointed out that there are different technologies, such as MediaFLO, DVB-H, T-DMB, and ISDB-T which have been already commercially deployed. “India’s experience with competition between cellular technologies (CDMA, GSM) in the wireless telephony has demonstrated the huge benefits that users can derive from healthy competition in the market,” it added.
Even GSM operators such as Bharti Airtel and lobby group COAI are supporting open technology for mobile TV.
Nokia Siemens has already deployed DVB-H in India on Doordarshan’s platform. If TRAI regulates the technology, the fear among other technology vendors such as Qualcomm is that they might loose out on a segment that is slated to become a high revenue earner a few years from now.