Dish To Test DVB-SH Mobile TV Technology

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 4/24/2008

Englewood, Colo. — Dish Network said Thursday it will soon begin testing equipment based on the new Digital Video Broadcasting – Satellite services to Handhelds (DVB-SH) mobile broadcast technology standard in the United States, using DVB-SH equipment, test tools and training from Alcatel-Lucent.

This evaluation will take place in Dish Network’s laboratories in Atlanta between May and August 2008, the satellite TV provider said. The goal is to validate the performance and cost efficiency of the DVB-SH standard for possible implementation here.

Dish said the DVB-SH standard “is an evolution of DVB-H [system] and a powerful mobile broadcast standard allowing cost-effective mobile TV deployments. It can be used in any frequency spectrum below 3GHz, including UHF, L band and S band, and in terrestrial, satellite or hybrid networks.”

The DVB-SH waveform definition was published by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) in March 2008.

“As is our history, Dish Network continues to explore new, cutting-edge technology for consumer applications,” stated Nolan Daines, Dish Network strategic initiatives senior VP. “Considering the global momentum of DVB-SH, we decided that performing a critical analysis of this new open standard was the right thing to do for Dish Network.”

“DVB-SH is today the most powerful mobile broadcast open standard leveraging the DVB-H ecosystem and enabling an efficient delivery of TV services to all mobile devices ranging from handsets to Personal Multimedia Players and in-car units,” stated Olivier Coste, Alcatel-Lucent mobile broadcast activities chairman. “This is why Alcatel-Lucent is committed to the success of DISH Network’s DVB-SH tests in the U.S., and, more than ever, to the expansion of the DVB-SH ecosystem worldwide.”