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UAE likely to get mobile TV services next year
The UAE Tele-communications Regulatory Authority (TRA) hopes broadcast mobile TV services will be available in the country sometime in 2009.
- By Himendra Mohan Kumar, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:53 June 17, 2008
Abu Dhabi: The UAE Tele-communications Regulatory Authority (TRA) hopes broadcast mobile TV services will be available in the country sometime in 2009.
During a briefing on Tuesday, Mohammad Nasser Al Ganem, TRA director general and board member, said the consultation phase for introduction of the services will be completed at 3pm on June 26.
Thereafter, TRA will take all the feedback and issue requests for proposals.
"We will give the industry six weeks to submit their bids. TRA will evaluate the bids and announce the winner, who will be the licensee," said Al Ganem.
According to a TRA document, the licence will be valid for 10 years. The licensee will pay TRA a licence acquisition fee of Dh20 million.
The licencee must also pay an annual licence fee of one per cent of revenues earned during the previous financial year or Dh100,000, whichever is higher. The fee must be paid each year on the anniversary date of the licence.
In addition, the licencee is required to pay an annual royalty, equivalent to 30 per cent of its annual net profit before the royalty.
"Hopefully, we will select the winner by end-2008 and then, make an announcement of the service," Al Ganem said.
The broadcast mobile TV services will be introduced to end users by both etisalat and du.
The technologies available for broadcast mobile TV services are DVB-H, developed by Nokia, and Qualcomm's MediaFlo.
Now, broadcast mobile TV services are available only in Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Finland, France and the US.
"We are technology neutral. The best technology will be selected," said Al Ganem.
"We have a big customer base in the UAE."
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