For the EC, the take-up of a common standard will not only encourage the harmonised provision of telecommunications services across the EU, but it will also provide the operators and the industry with the necessary market scale to launch mass Mobile TV services. DVB-H, being between trial and commercial launch in 16 Member States (MS), is already the most widely used standard for Mobile TV in the EU.

Mobile TV

For the fast take up of the Mobile TV service, efficient procedures for authorising operators must be put in place. Following the February consultation, the EC is currently preparing guidelines on best practice to assist MS in rapidly deploying Mobile TV. The EC believes that light-touch regulation and clear licensing regimes will provide the necessary legal certainty of launching Mobile TV without any complications. Mrs. Viviane Reding, Commissioner for Information Society and Media, indicated that: “The next steps for implementing the EU strategy on mobile broadcasting will include guidance on the authorisation regimes as well as the promotion of rights management systems based on open standards”.

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