News
MediaFLO mobile TV heading to the UK?
Stuart O'Brien May 16 2008, 12:22pm
Qualcomm has paid £8.3m for L-band radio spectrum in the UK. Will launch 'innovative wireless services'.
Qualcomm has confirmed that UK regulator Ofcom has granted it a license to offer services in the 1452-1492Mhz L-band of radio spectrum.
The US chipset and internet services company paid £8,334,000 for the license in an auction.
Ofcom says the spectrum is 'suitable for offering services such as mobile television, wireless broadband and satellite radio', and can be used with immediate effect.
Qualcomm does not specify which services it intends to offer, but Andrew Gilbert, president of Qualcomm Internet Services, MediaFLO Technologies and Qualcomm Europe, said: "Acquiring this spectrum will enable us to develop, test and explore a variety of innovative wireless services and technologies that will benefit European consumers and the wireless industry as a whole."
Qualcomm's MediaFLO mobile TV technology - deployed in the US with Verizon and AT&T - has already been tested in the UK by partners including pay TV provider BSkyB.
Ofcom’s fifth auction of radio spectrum is part of a wider programme to release spectrum for a range of uses. Other future awards include spectrum at 2.6GHz and the spectrum that will be released through the switchover to digital television.
The auction was held online from the May 6th to the May 14th. Qualcomm UK Spectrum Ltd will be able to use its licence with immediate effect.
