Philippines DVB-H Mobile TV Services with PMSI and UDcast

Monday, June 18th, 2007

UDcast, working with Philippine Multi-media System and Associated Broadcasting Company (ABC), provides key DVB-H infrastructure

SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS, France and MANILA, Philippines — UDcast and Philippine Multi-media System, Inc. (PMSI) announced today that test broadcasts of mobile TV services in the Philippines using the DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld) standard have been successful and will be commercially launched in 2007.

PMSI is currently showing eight different channels on Samsung DVB-H compatible handsets, with additional handsets and unique programming expected to be available soon. The commercial service will initially launch in Manila and extend to other major cities.

“There are currently more than 42 million mobile phone subscribers in the Philippines, and consumer research confirms the appeal for Mobile TV service today, with a further strong growth potential in the future,” said Mr. Cesar G. Reyes, CEO for PMSI. He adds, “UDcast provided PMSI with IP encapsulators that are powerful, flexible and stable. They have allowed us to implement various options that are critical to our future plans.”

This first commercial implementation of mobile TV in the Philippines features the DVB-H standard, for which UDcast has pioneered compatible network equipment. DVB-H is already dominant in Europe, but still competes in Asia with several other rival technologies.

“The choice of DVB-H for the first commercial mobile TV deployment in the Philippines shows that this technology is capable of offering high-quality mass broadcasting for mobile devices,” said Dr. Jas Saini, CEO of UDcast, “As a pioneer in DVB-H network architecture, UDcast is thrilled to be a part of this commercial deployment, demonstrating that the UDcast solution is integrated perfectly with all major telecommunications and broadcasting vendors.”

“The mobile TV market in the Philippines is heating up with several trials ongoing and a strong potential subscriber base,” said Arlene Buela of Communications Solutions (CSI), UDcast’s in country system integration partner. “Working with UDcast’s proven DVB-H standard network equipment based on satellite, we have been able to create a network with the quality and cost savings that will appeal to subscribers, providing the revenue streams that PMSI needs to succeed in Mobile TV.”

UDcast is providing the network infrastructure solution, including IP Encapsulators, IPE Network Manager, iSplicer and Network Monitoring. UDcast’s mobile TV solution reduces deployment costs by using cost-efficient satellite distribution. In more than 30 trials and commercial deployments around the world, UDcast’s equipment has proven its ability to deliver TV-quality pictures.

UDcast will demonstrate its DVB-H mobile TV solution to the Asia market during Broadcast Asia 2007 show in Hall 7, booth 7Q3-05. The show takes place June 19 – 22 at the Singapore Expo, Singapore.