feature mobile TV
Nicolas Chevalier, senior segment marketing
manager for mobile TV at Nagravision, looks at
Mobision, the new DVB-H (Digital Video
Broadcasting-Handheld) based mobile TV
service delivering essential connectivity to
Iraq's war-ravaged market.
Delivering
mobile TV to Iraq
years in mature mobile TV available throughout Iraq, giving accessowhere is convergence
environments, represents a business to the first ever mobile TV DVB-Hmore real than in the
opportunity for service operators. bouquet. mobile television market.
Despite all the banter and years of Even though the people of Iraq areIn the early 2000s,
expectations, global market adoption of accustomed to watching television onmobile TV was viewed as
N
Mobile TV
mobile TV is now on the way. First sets at home, DVB-H is a brilliantlythe new 'killer app' to
has proven launched in the world's most mature practical idea. Since Iraq suffers fromhelp mobile network operators develop
the multimedia market and add new
itself to be
mobile markets in 2005 (Japan, Korea electricity shortages, Iraqis can follow
revenue streams. Sporting events, such
attractive in
and Italy in 2006), mobile TV services up on news via their mobile phones,
as the FIFA World Cup of 2006, certainly
Iraq, where
are gaining interest in other massive allowing them to be aware of the
acted as catalysts in promoting TV ‘on
it is a ‘need,
markets such as China and the US. And latest developments and updates in
surprising to many, mobile TV has Iraq and around the world. The cuts tothe go’; firmly kick-starting DVB-H
not a ‘want’
proven itself to be attractive in Iraq, the power grid provide many Iraqisbroadcast mobile services in Europe.
where mobile TV is ‘a need, not a with only three hours per day ofSuccessful world-first commercial
want’. electricity, rendering TVs that aredeployments have clearly shown
Factoring in this new convergence dependent on wall sockets for powerconsumers' growing appetite for the
eco-system to several marketplaces, it useless for most of the day. Yet, threeconsumption of mobile TV and that they
recently appeared that mobile TV hours is enough time to charge mobileare ready to pay a premium for exciting
services were enjoying a rapid rise in phone batteries. Therefore a DVB-Hcontent such as news, sports and other
popularity in the Middle East and North device can provide access to as muchpopular TV footage. Beyond mobile TV
Africa (MENA) region with DVB-H as four to five hours of viewing, ason mobile phones, the non-voice
projects planned for Qatar and the UAE. opposed to traditional 3G, which drainsterminal market, identified for several
However, the surprise came from Iraq. battery power in about an hour. Thus
Within this war-ravaged market, Mobision is seen not as a luxury, rather
Alsumaria TV, the Iraqi satellite as a necessity for consumers wanting
network, trialed and launched the to stay connected and be entertained.
commercial service of Mobision in May The Mobision-branded mobile TV
2009. It was the first commercial service roll-out is also remarkable for
mobile TV service in the MENA region the following reasons:
to use DVB-H technology. • It is the first to develop a
commercial business model that is
Mobision completely independent from other
value chain members. The DVB-H
Alsumaria TV is one of the most network has been financed primarily
dynamic and watched TV stations in by Lebanese investors who have
Iraq, transmitting on both Nilesat and poured about 21 million Euros into the
Arabsat. On 28 May 2009, Alsumaria project, with Alsumaria TV acting as a
TV's Mobision became commercially local partner.
20 l ibe l september/october 2009 l
www.ibeweb.com
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