News
EC heavily criticised over mobile TV stance
Stuart O'Brien Mar 19 2007, 11:00am
The European Mobile Broadcasting Council (EMBC) has accused EC commissioner Viviane Reding of defying industry recommendations following her call for a mandated mobile broadcast TV technology.
This morning a '"stunned" EMBC, which includes major mobile telecoms operators, broadcasters and technology manufacturer in the EU, said the commissioner’s statement "jeopardises investments made by European broadcasters and manufacturers in other technologies and contradicts everything the EMBC advised."
On Friday, Reding said she was 'disappointed' with the progress the industry was making towards standardising mobile TV platforms and suggested that she would mandate a platform - most likely DVB-H - if necessary.
Among the various other technologies either deployed or being trialed in Europe right now are DAB-IP, Media FLO and DMB.
The EMBC - ironically set up last year at the behest of Reding - argues that there is no urgent need for specific new EU regulation to foster the introduction and development of mobile broadcasting, instead recommending that the market should be allowed to settle on its own solutions.
Specifically the Council recommended technology neutrality and said the Commission "should not favour any one technology over another."
Quentin Howard, president of WorldDMB - which works with the EMBC and promotes awareness of DAB/DMB technologies - said: “It is ridiculous for the Commission to think that only one system can work everywhere. Each country has its own unique requirements and market conditions and the Commissioner’s preference for one solution suggests she has failed to grasp that mobile operators and broadcasters need flexibility to develop different business models."
