EU decides on standard for mobile TV

...and it's Nokia that has won out

18 March 2008 11:25 GMT / By Katie Scott

The European Commission has decided to adopt one standard to drive forward development of mobile phone TV platforms.

And it is Nokia's Digital Video Broadcasting Handheld (DVB-H) standard which European authorities have decided to back.

"For mobile TV to take off in Europe, there must first be certainty about the technology", European Telecoms commissioner Viviane Reding said in a statement yesterday.

According to Reuters, DVB-H is the only standard with a global presence although South Korea, Japan, the United States and China are taking up with local rivals, such as one set by US company Qualcomm.

But the decision is already being criticised.

Some EU member states, including Britain, Germany and the Netherlands, had been opposed to setting DVB-H as the single standard.

The GSM Association, which represents mobile operators in Europe is staying neutral but did say: "An official endorsement does carry weight but it's not clear if DVB-H is necessarily the best standard".