TV coming to a mobile phone near you soon

Dubai: Very soon, people who live in the UAE will enjoy and watch television broadcasting on their mobiles.

du, the UAE's new telecommunication operator, will introduce DVB-H, a new mobile TV technology, in the UAE at the beginning of 2007, an official said yesterday.

Dubai Media City (DMC), the region's media hub, will partner with du and the country's largest broadcast companies, Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI) and Emirates Media Incorporated (EMI), to introduce the unique initiative, first in Dubai, then Abu Dhabi and later the entire UAE.

The DVB-H standard, which enables TV broadcasts on Ultra High Frequency (UHF), can be received on mobiles and handheld devices that are DVB-H compatible. The new technology enables television feeds to be transmitted to large numbers of mobile users with high picture and audio quality.

DMC has received a licence from the telecom regulatory authority (TRA) for a commercial trial at the beginning of next year.

"The DVB-H initiative brings together the expertise of leading media and telecom players. DMC will leverage its strong links with the media sector and its 1200-strong industry cluster to further build the DVB-H partnership," said Dr Amina Al Rustamani, executive director of Media, TECOM Investments in a press conference yesterday.

"Both the demonstration and trial will evaluate the technical and commercial feasibility of DVB-H services and prepare the ground for its commercial roll out," she added.

"More than 500 mobile TVs will be used during the trial time. Companies like Nokia, LG and Samsung are offering such handsets in the UAE market," said Al Rustamani.

She added that the introduction of DVB-H promises to revolutionise how, when and where people view television in the UAE, In addition it throws open the possibility of a whole host of on-demand and interactive services related to infotainment, news and sports.

Osman Sultan, CEO of du, said that as the number of mobile TV users increases in the future, du will be deploying new technology such as DVB-H to meet this demand.

"Some people think that we are just a new challenger, which is not true. Maybe du will collect a smaller number of subscribers in some services in the beginning, but that will not affect its strong position as a leader of the new telecommunication technology now and in the future," he said.

"DVB-H will enable our TV programmes to reach our viewers anywhere, anytime, the new technology will open an exciting range of possibilities for Dubai TV," said Hussain Lootah, CEO of DMI.

"EMI audiences are constantly demanding new channels to view and experience our programmes and the DVB-H initiative offers us an opportunity to deliver our programmes in a high-quality, broadcast digital format to people on the move," said Ahmed Al Bloushi, CEO of EMI.

I anxiously await the launch of mobile TV in the UAE.
Agnelo
Dubai,UAE

Great! One more recipe to add to the already accelerating traffic accidents on UAE roads.
Rizwan
Dubai,UAE

TV on mobile phones is the best move for du in capturing the bigger UAE market.
Jayan
Abu Dhabi,UAE

I think du will revolutionise communications in the UAE and will be a force to reckon with over the next few years.
Misbah
Dubai,UAE

Excellent, great innovation. Looking forward to it as soon as possible.
Bernardo
Ras Al Khaimah,uae

It is very good for getting news and entertainment wherever you are.
Hussam
Abu Dhabi,UAE

About time! We had the technology to view it but didn't have any provider. Last time I visited Abu Dhabi, I was disappointed by the developments of the UAE in the telecommunications sector.
Mohamed
Melbourne,Australia

It's good to have the latest technology but in this part of the world it will cost lives as it will lead to people using the technology while driving.
SK Moolur
Dubai,UAE