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MOBILE
television service has arrived. Globe Telecom and
Philippine Multi-Media System Inc., operator of Dream
Satellite TV, have started trial broadcast of mobile
television.
The
service, called My Dream
Mobile,
can be viewed initially on the Nokia N92. This Nokia
model is capable of receiving the high frequency radio
signal digital video broadcasting-handheld DVB-H, or
simply DBB-H, the format specific to this service.
DVB-H
allows mobile devices with similar antenna to receive
digital TV signals. However, DVB-H has better video
quality than analog and can be controlled by the
consumer. An industry source made a short demonstration
of the service last week.
A Globe
official confirmed that trial broadcast of the service
is on-going. “It is just a pilot test. There is no deal
with Dream TV yet. It is just an internal arrangement to
test the service.”
The
National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said that
the demonstration permits they handed out to aspiring
operators of mobile TV will expire this month.
The
Globe official added: “During the trial broadcast, the
technical feasibility of the service will be determined
and if this will add value to the company.”
The
source said Globe did not pursue earlier talks with
Dream TV for a possible equity deal after the latter
told a court that it had gone bankrupt and that it filed
for rehabilitation last March.
“They
have set aside equity talks,” the source said. “It’s now
more of an operational partnership or just a temporary
link-up to test the service. Globe realized that it will
be too risky for them if they pursue a more solid
arrangement such as an equity deal.”
The
source also said, “How can they partner with a company
that is not financially sound? They’d rather see how
Dream TV will go about in its rehab first before
entering into a more concrete arrangement.”
Philippine Multi-Media told the Makati Regional Trial
Court that its present financial difficulty is the
result of high-operating costs and low subscriber
revenue. So, it had difficulty paying its matured and
maturing obligations..
As of
February 28, 2007, assets of Dream TV amounted to
P1,246,733,008.00, against liabilities of
1,157,362,239.00, net of stockholders’ equity.
Philippine Multi-Media is expected to post losses until
2009.
Dream TV
is the first and only commercially operational
nationwide DTH provider in the country. Channel content
is received from program providers, compressed and
beamed via satellite.
When
pressed for comment Globe president Gerardo Ablaza said
in a text message, “We don’t have any deal with Dream,
whether on an equity or commercial arrangement basis.”
Since
mobile TV is essentially a broadcast service, a phone
firm can not offer the service. As such, Globe needs to
partner with a broadcast entity to actually offer mobile
TV service.
Since a
broadcast firm needs to bill subscribers for the
service, it will need a mobile-phone operator to
authenticate consumers via their international
mobile-equipment identity (IMEI) or SIM (subscriber
identification module) card.
Mobile
TV is transmitted outside the cellular network. The
source explained that the content is delivered through a
satellite dish before it is beamed via a cellular site.
“Even
though there is no commercial arrangement as claimed by
Ablaza, there has to be, at least, an understanding with
Dream because the content can not be delivered to Globe
subscribers without the permission of the cellular firm
to transmit the content to their cell site using
frequencies,” the source stressed.
Mobile
TV is a broadcast service that delivers content to many
viewers simultaneously through a digital TV broadcast
signal optimized for mobile devices, just like a
conventional TV broadcast sends TV signal to homes.
Programs
on mobile TV can be viewed simultaneously by an
unlimited number of subscribers, making it the ideal
medium for real-time sports events, breaking news or
live entertainment. |
