Nokia to pilot mobile TV in India with DD

Come mid-2007 mobile TV, which allows broadcast on mobile phones, could become a reality in India.

Nokia, the world's largest mobile handset manufacturer, has tied up with national broadcaster Doordarshan (DD) to conduct a pilot test using digital video broadcaster-handheld (DVB-H) technology for rollout of services.

"The service will be available only on N 92 handsets, which will be available globally by the first quarter of 2007, costing about ¤ 600. Nokia will come out with other devices according to market demand. At present, mobile TV is available in Vietnam, Italy, and some parts of Finland," Ikka Raiskinen, senior vice-president, Nokia, said.

He added that though N 92 was a 3G-enabled handset, mobile TV could be watched also on 2G platform.

L D Mandloi, director-general of DD said, "Doordarshan has taken the lead in adopting DVB-H standards and this was a logical extension of our DVB-T services."

Mobile TV works by receiving a digital TV broadcast signal optimised for mobile devices in much the same way as televisions do at home. Operators and broadcasters, of course, have to put up towers across cities.

The pilot test will study the reception quality of the broadcast and consumer feedbacks, and explore options of supporting different service schemes, among other things.

Doordarshan, which has a monopoly over terrestrial broadcasting, will have the first mover advantage in this field. Other broadcasters have to wait till the government allows them to get into terrestrial broadcasting.

(The writer was in Amsterdam at the hospitality of Nokia)