Mobile TV & Broadband via Satellite in Europe

Mobile TV & Broadband via Satellite in Europe

This report explores the various initiatives aimed at developing hybrid satellite networks in Europe, involving both the space segment and a terrestrial segment of repeaters that are compatible with the satellite network. The award of two pan-European licenses is expected to spur the development of mobile TV services, as well as mobile telephony and broadband solutions.

Key questions
• What potential do these hybrid networks have?
• What is CGC/DVB-SH technology that makes it possible to
develop this type of network?
• How do these hybrid networks work?
• Which players will rely on these hybrid networks?
• What services will these players offer? Where is the added value?
• What strategies are chipset/device manufacturers employing,
and what agreements have already been announced?
• How do these players plan on positioning themselves with
respect to mobile operators: as partners or rivals?

Table of Contents
1. Executive Summary ...... 10
1.1. Satellite operators preparing for the exponential growth of the mobile Internet… . 11
1.2. …and mobile TV ... 12
1.3. Hybrid mobile/satellite technology come from the United States ...... 13
MSS/CGC variation developed Alcatel-Lucent: DVB-SH .13
1.4. The award of two pan-European licences will enable the development of these
services in the near future .. 14
1.5. MSS-CGC/DVB-SH systems present significant advantages in terms of coverage
and cost .. 14
1.6. Ultimately, then, are these solutions rivals or complementary? . 16
2. Introduction ..... 17
2.1. Definition of mobile satellite services (MSS) .. 17
2.2. Frequency bands used 18
2.3. Emergence of new applications . 19
2.3.1. Rise in military and government activities (crisis management) ... 19
2.4. Mobile satellite operators preparing for exponential growth of the mobile Internet 20
Mobile Internet usage ......21
Locations for use ......22
Growth enabled by the increasing use of smartphones… 23
What outlook for the next five years? ...24
2.5. And the launch of mobile TV offers ... 26
DVB-H versus T-DMB: Europeans divided ..26
2.6. MSS sector undergoing a technological shift tied to hybridisation .... 31
3. Description of CGC and DVB-SH technologies ... 32
3.1. Features of the technologies ..... 32
3.1.1. How they work . 32
MSS/CGC networks .32
MSS/CGC variation developed Alcatel-Lucent: DVB-SH .33
3.2. Technologies from North America and Asia ... 34
3.2.1. Description of projects planned in North America .... 34
SkyTerra (formerly Mobile Satellite Ventures) ....34
TerreStar Networks ..42
ICO Satellite Management .....47
Globalstar ..53
DVB-SH trials conducted by Dish Network (EchoStar) ....56
3.2.2. Description of the projects launched in Asia-Pacific 58
In Japan, S-DMB loses out to mobile free-to-air DTT 58
South Korea’s S-DMB pay-TV service holding steady and expected to be in the black by 2010 ...59
4. Review of European projects ..... 62
4.1. Reminder of the procedure implemented by the European Commission . 62
4.1.1. Spectrum allocation procedure and timetable .. 62
4.2. Current market players and their projects 64
4.2.1. Inmarsat ... 64
4.2.2. Solaris Mobile .. 67
4.2.3. DVB-SH trials by mobile operators SFR and 3 Italia ...... 68
In France, SFR tested DVB-SH in the city of Pau .....68
In Italy, the RAI and 3 Italia testing DVB-SH in Turin 69
5. What prospects when competing with terrestrial networks .... 70
5.1. Telephony and mobile broadband .... 70
5.1.1. Key features of the main mobile technologies .. 70
3G/3.5G .....70
5.1.2. Alternative wireless technologies: Wi-Fi and WiMAX ..... 71
Fixed and mobile WiMAX: 3G complement and competitor ....71
5.1.3. Future of mobile solutions and 4G ...... 72
Principle of 4G ..73
5.1.4. Government-run TETRA/TETRAPOL PMR networks ..... 75
TETRA 75
TETRAPOL 79
5.1.5. Technological competitiveness .... 80
Disparate rural population in the various countries ...80
Mobile network coverage varies a great deal depending on the country, and depending on whether
it is 2G or 3G ....80
3G coverage in France ....82
WiMAX rollouts falling behind schedule in France ....85
Coverage and interoperability of government TETRA/TETRAPOL networks still limited in a number
of countries 87
5.1.6. Cost of deploying a mobile network in a rural area .. 87
Density of the deployed radio network .88
Upgrading the backhaul network ...89
Results of the modelling exercise ..90
UMTS/HSPA coverage 2100 MHz core band ....91
LTE coverage in the 2600 MHz band ...92
LTE coverage in the 800 MHz band .....93
Analysis of the results of the modelling exercise 94
5.2. Mobile TV 94
5.2.1. Key properties of the main mobile broadcasting technologies ...... 94
5.2.2. Lack of DVB-H coverage gave birth to a hybrid broadcast/ unicast 3G solution ...... 95
5.2.3. Technological competitiveness .... 96
Saturation of terrestrial mobile networks: a possibility ......96
DVB-SH enables immediate coverage of rural areas 96
5.2.4. Economic competitiveness ... 97
Independent study commissioned by the Mobile TV Forum ....97
30% of the population covered with DVB-SH in a matter of months, according to Alcatel-Lucent..99
And what of the rural populations? .....101
6. Conclusion ..... 102
6.1. Ultimately, then, are these networks rivals or complementary? ...... 102
6.2. The development of hybrid DVB-H/DVB-SH devices will be key to success 102
6.3. But hybridisation that includes DVB-T could be detrimental to the mobile pay-TV
model .... 103
6.4. Equipment manufacturers’ and media companies’ viewpoint .. 106