DVB-H Mobile TV Update
Mobile TV broadcasting has been on the cards since 2005, with predictions that it would be “all over the place” by 2008.
In May the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) disqualified various players including Mobile TV Consortium, Super5 and MultiChoice from the Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Digital Video Broadcasting – Handheld (DVB-H) spectrum for not complying to various requirements of the process.
Only e.tv’s application complied to ICASA’s preliminary requirements, but they have yet to receive their license.
ICASA spokesperson, Paseka Maleka, said that the “first round of the ITA”, where only e.tv complied, is almost finished and that “the Authority has been in contact with e.tv in that regard.”
Two weeks after the disqualifications ICASA reissued the ITA for 60% of Spectrum 1. This time applicants had almost 4 weeks to respond (28 June 2010 being the deadline) rather than the 3 weeks they had the first time round.
MultiChoice and Super 5 Media both lodged new applications for DVB-H spectrum. Media reports suggest that Super 5 Media is no more, meaning that South Africa will have one less player in mobile TV broadcasting.
“The second round of the ITA is also at an advanced stage. The Authority has just finalized confidentiality request by MultiChoice and Super 5 Media and the next step would be to determine compliance with preliminary requirements as prescribed by the ITA and Mobile TV regulations,” said Maleka.
“The Authority will, in due course, make pronouncements with regard to the two processes.”
DVB-H licenses for South African broadcasters << Is it too late for DVB-H?
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