EU sets out mobile TV standard for Europe

European officials have finalised the choice for the single standard for the roll out of mobile TV services across Europe.

Out of the seven standards available, they have decided on DVB-H.

Mobile TV services, which allow programmes to be broadcast directly to handsets, have already been successfully and fully rolled out elsewhere in the world, with 10% of South Koreans enjoying TV on their mobiles.

The European Union believes the market could be worth over £13 billion by 2011 and a spokesperson stated:

"We can either take the lead globally - as we did for mobile telephony based on the GSM standard developed by the European industry - or allow other regions to take the lion's share of the promised mobile TV market."

"Wait-and-see is not an option. The time has come for Europe's industry and governments to switch on to mobile TV."

Adopting the DVB-H standard in the UK could cause problems as it would mean freeing up parts of the radio spectrum.

The BBC reports that the UHF band, which is identified by the EC as the most suitable spectrum for multimedia mobile services, is unlikely to be freed up in the UK until the digital switch-over is complete in 2012.