The global body of more than 80 companies, which supports Qualcomm’s competing MediaFLO platform, applauded ‘the Commission’s efforts to advance the high potential mobile TV opportunity in Europe’, but insisted favouring one system over another would stifle competition and stall the advancement of a healthy European market.

Dr. Kamil A. Grajski, president of the FLO Forum, said: “The principle of technology neutrality exists to ensure that the market can choose which technology delivers the most attractive solution for the consumer. Each country has its own unique market conditions…locking Europe into one technology model will hinder the development of innovative technologies.”

The Forum also rejected the notion, put forward by the EU, that its mandate would do for mobile TV what the GSM mandate did for 2G mobile telephony. “The analogy is contrary to the market reality today,” said Grajski. “The mobile TV industry is still in its early stages, but the GSM mandate came after GSM had launched with wide commercial success.”

MediaFLO has already launched in the US with Verizon and will go live with AT&T soon. It is in trials with BskyB and others in Europe.