Poland - Invitation to DVB-H tests

The Office of Electronic Communications (UKE – Urząd Komunikacji Elektronicznej) notes increased interest in the implementation of mobile TV in Poland according to the DVB-H standard (Digital Video Broadcasting for Handhelds). Until now the Office of Electronic Communications has issued 11 radio licences for trial transmissions of this type.

On 18 July 2007 the European Commission (the EC) adopted a strategy favouring the take-up of mobile TV across all EU Member States in a uniform DVB-H standard. The Commission urged Member States to accelerate the deployment of mobile TV. The Commission concluded that in order for Europe to remain competitive in the market for mobile radiocommunication services (in terms of creating new jobs, business oportunities for service providers, hardware manufacturers and content creators and bringing new types of services) it is necessary to implement mobile TV.

Currently some 3.5 m Europeans use mobile TV. According to analysts’ forecasts in 2011, i.e. short before the European Football Championship (EURO 2012) organised in Poland and Ukraine, some 500 m people all over the world are going to use it. The analysis for the European Commission shows that in 2009 the world mobile TV market will reach the value of 11.4 billion euro and in 2015 as much as 20 billion euro.

Experts say that the year 2008 may be important for the development of mobile TV in the European Union because of major sports events such as the European Football Championship or summer Olympic Games, which will favour the launch and promotion of services offered in this system.

For this reason undertakings associated in the Polish Chamber of Information Technology and Telecommunications (PIIT) have undertaken an initiative to carry out in 2008 large scale trial transmissions in the DVB-H system.

In order to ensure equal treatment, the President of UKE invited all interested parties, especially the operators of transmission networks (mobile, broadcasting, access and others), hardware manufacturers and content creators (including broadcasters) to participate in common mobile TV tests in the DVB-H standard.

The President of UKE, in cooperation with the industry, will lay down the rules for common tests and for the participation of particular groups of interested parties according to their competence.