Digita and SBS Finland strike a deal on commercial DVB-H mobile television network service

SBS Finland Oy and the leading Finnish radio and TV service distributor Digita Oy have signed a deal on the first commercial service in the DVB-H based mobile Tv network. Mobile television combines the services of two separate networks, the DVB-H based TV network and the mobile network, in the same user terminal. Mobile TV thus enables the provision of interactive services from the very beginning.

SBS Finland Oy will be the first content provider of the mobile television network. In addition to digital radio broadcasting, DVB-H radio offers for customer viewing programme related content, such as programme and channel information, extra material relating to the featured artists and interactive sections such as competitions and polls.

"Finland is technologically a highly advanced country and now we are among the first countries to launch a commercial mobile television network. Digita wants to promote and enable the implementation of new services in Finland. SBS Finland was the first to strike a deal on services in the mobile TV network. The five-year agreement proves that SBS Finland has the will to be a pioneer by participating in the new service and has a strong belief in new technology, " says Sirpa Ojala, managing director of Digita.

Leena Ryynänen, managing director of SBS Finland Oy says that the radio station KISS has been been a forerunner in the Finnish radio sector in many ways. "We were the first radio company in the world to start Visual Radio broadcasts, we have been among the first to test DVB-H as a digital distribution platform for radio and have been broadcasting KISS in the digital TV network for quite a while now. SBS continues in the vanguard of the sector and will be the first Finnish media company to provide content for the DVB-H network."

"In the new service listeners can enjoy the digital sound quality and get even more out of listening to the radio. Listeners no longer need to wonder what tune is being played on the radio, as they can easily check the information on their mobile phone," says Leena Ryynänen.

Digita will be responsible as the network operator for the DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting Handheld) broadcasting network and the management of the channels in the network. Digita will implement the network as a digital mass communication multiplex network for mobile TV operation.

The first stage of the network roll-out will provide extensive cover in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and its immediate surroundings as well as in the Turku and Oulu regions. Once the commercial operation kicks off, at the beginning of December 2006, more that 25 per cent of the population will already be covered by the network. The Tampere area network will be opened after analogous TV broadcasting ends, on Sept. 1, 2007, after which the mobile TV network will cover up to 32 per cent of the Finnish population. In a year’s time, at the beginning of December 2007, the network coverage will be as high as 40 per cent.

Content providers will be able to broadcast their programmes via the mobile TV network from the beginning of December 2006 onwards. The first terminal devices will also be launched on the market at the beginning of December. For the end user, the services of the new network provide TV and radio broadcasts, games and interactive features.

Digita participated last year in a multi-company consumer pilot project testing the attractiveness of mobile television, and the results were promising. Consumers were interested in the services offered by the network and also willing to pay for them. Digita is also part of the Forum Virium Helsinki project which develops digital services and contents for the mobile television network, combining the strengths of several parties.

Last autumn, SBS Finland implemented a pilot project of its own studying the possibilities of using DVB-H technology as a broadcasting platform for digital radio. In the course of the pilot project SBS successfully used DVB-H technology to broadcast digital radio transmissions, images, music videos and and artist interview.