Qualcomm and British Sky Broadcasting Complete Second MediaFLO Trial

Monday, February 12th, 2007
QUALCOMM logo

Second Successful Trial Underscores Technical Advantages of MediaFLO over DVB-H

LONDON and SAN DIEGO — Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM), a leading developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies and data solutions, and British Sky Broadcasting Limited (BSkyB), the leading provider of multi-channel entertainment in the United Kingdom, today announced the successful completion of a second joint technical trial of Qualcomm’s MediaFLO™ System in the United Kingdom. This second technical trial, conducted in Manchester during winter 2006, featured BSkyB content delivered to non-commercial devices from Qualcomm.

The trial followed a similar test held in Cambridge, U.K., in the summer of 2006 which corroborated performance results of the MediaFLO System, including channel switching time, the effectiveness of MediaFLO statistical multiplexing and carrier to noise performance. BSkyB and Qualcomm conducted the trial to verify MediaFLO performance and compare it with competitive technology.

This trial established several key results for the MediaFLO System, as compared to DVB-H:

  • MediaFLO physical layer field performance was measured to be around 4.5 dB overall better for non-layered modes with comparable bit per second per hertz capacity.
  • The FLO physical layer performed better than previously published. The measured lab performance was 0.5 to 1 dB better than described in the San Diego Field Test Report Rev A.
  • Qualcomm proposes that a 4.5 dB advantage would allow a MediaFLO network to either cover twice the geographical area per transmitter when applying modes of equal capacity – resulting in a substantial reduction in network expense – or provide double the service offering on a channel count basis for a constant cell size with the same spectrum and transmitter deployment.
  • The use of a layered mode and codec in a MediaFLO System can provide additional link margin of 2 dB or increased channel capacity.

“This second technical trial of MediaFLO technology in the U.K. has affirmed the results of our first trial held in Cambridge,” said Robin Crossley, strategy adviser, technology for BSkyB. “The trial used lab and field test results to compare the performance of MediaFLO and DVB-H. The trial showed that the MediaFLO System has considerable technical advantages over DVB-H and confirms the financial modeling undertaken to date.”

“Completion of a second trial with BSkyB in Manchester underscores our technical claims for MediaFLO and clearly demonstrates the robust performance of the system,” said Peggy Johnson, president of Qualcomm Internet Services and Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies. “MediaFLO is a global standard built specifically for mobility and this trial highlights that the superiority of the MediaFLO system will translate into real world benefits for organizations wishing to build a mobile TV business.”