MEDIA BROADCAST awarded DVB-T2 operator licence for Germany

Tuesday, March 17th, 2015
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MEDIA BROADCAST Awarded Platform License for Digital Terrestrial Television of the Future

  • License allocation a key step for MEDIA BROACAST in advancing the establishment of a DVB-T2 platform for digital terrestrial television
  • Better TV experience for viewers through digital terrestrial broadcasting in HD quality and more programs with continued simple, cost-efficient and mobile use
  • Securing an adequate spectrum policy framework continues to be a prerequisite for smooth transition to DVB-T2

COLOGNE — MEDIA BROADCAST, Europe’s leading full-service provider in the broadcasting and media industry, has been awarded the broadcasting capacities to operate a digital terrestrial television platform tendered by the State Media Authorities.

The license is an important step towards making the digital terrestrial television of the future a reality. The DVB-T2 platform that MEDIA BROADCAST will build and operate offers viewers digital-terrestrial TV in HD quality and more programs with continued simple and cost-efficient use. In future, there will also be hybrid offers, such as additional channel packages which viewers can receive directly on their TV sets via the Internet. The new DVB-T2 digital broadcasting standard will be launched in combination with the efficient HEVC encoding codec in Germany. First compatible TV sets are already on the market, and a wider variety will be available shortly, marked with a corresponding label.

“The allocation of the platform operator license is a great success for MEDIA BROADCAST,” says Wolfgang Breuer, MEDIA BROADCAST CEO and speaker of the management board. “We are working at full tilt on our entry into the consumer market and on building our television platform with a wide range of TV offerings in the DVB-T2 standard. For users DVB-T2 will remain a cost-efficient broadcasting channel, easy to use and suited for mobile reception. Digital terrestrial television will make the leap to the future, and all viewers will receive more channels in better image quality via the digital antenna.

“The State Media Authorities’ tender requirements for the platform license were very demanding in terms of technology and content. We are delighted that we were able to meet them,” adds Michael Moskob, Director of Regulation & Public Affairs at MEDIA BROADCAST.

The technical construction of the new DVB-T2 platform will begin in spring of 2016. The current DVB-T capacities in urban areas will first be converted to the new technology, which will already enable the distribution of commercial TV channels. The public-service broadcasters plan to start their migration to DVB-T2 in 2017 and complete it by mid-2019. Successful pilot projects are already underway in Berlin and Munich.

“A quick and smooth transition to DVB-T2 requires a rapid establishment of further necessary spectrum policy and technical conditions,” says Moskob. “The frequencies currently used by broadcasters must remain available until the conversion is completed.”