CHANGING TECHNOLOGIES:

Implications for viewers & listeners

Philip Laven(laven@ebu.ch)

VLV Autumn Conference 2014 18 November 2014

A BATTLE FOR SPECTRUM

• Operators of mobile networks are demanding reallocation of spectrum used for terrestrial TV (470 – 862 MHz)

2

500 600 700 800Frequency (MHz)

Mobile

Before 2012

2012

Stage 2

TV

TV

TV Mobile

TV & Mobile MobileStage 3

GLOBAL MOBILE DATA TRENDS

MEETING THE DEMAND FOR VIDEO

• Mobile networks need more spectrum to cope with the rapid growth in demand for video services on smart-phones and tablets

• Typical mobile phone tariffs limit data usage to 1 or 2 GB per month– one hour of SDTV = 0.5 GB– one hour of HDTV = 2 GB

• To avoid high data charges, about 95% of video is actually received via Wi-Fi networks, rather than via mobile phone networks– do they really need much more spectrum?

LEGITIMATE DEMANDS?

• Mobile network operators have lots of under-used spectrum between 900 MHz and 2300 MHz, but they want spectrum below 900 MHz to provide better coverage from each transmitter– “good for rural broadband”

• Digital TV allows broadcasters to deliver more services using less spectrum– resulting in a “digital dividend” for all users

• Are broadcasters being selfish in trying to keep their spectrum?

SPECTRUM EFFICIENCY

• Analogue TV: 1 TV service per 8 MHz channel• Digital TV (1st generation: “Freeview”)– DVB-T and MPEG-2 compression– 6-8 TV services per 8 MHz channel

• Digital TV (2nd generation: “Freeview HD”)– DVB-T2 and MPEG-4 AVC compression– 5-6 HDTV services per 8 MHz channel

or 15-20 SDTV services per 8 MHz channel• Digital TV (3rd generation?)– DVB-T2 and HEVC compression– 10-12 HDTV services per 8 MHz channel

INCOMPATIBLE TECHNOLOGIES

• New technologies are available that would allow broadcasters to maintain their services whilst using less spectrum

• BUT each new generation is incompatible with the previous generation– TV sets designed for Freeview HD can also

receive Freeview services – TV sets designed for Freeview cannot receive

Freeview HD services• If the UK converted to Freeview HD, millions of

Freeview TV sets would stop working …

MARKET SHARES OF TV PLATFORMS

Primary TV sets only

CONSUMER CHOICE

• The importance of various delivery mechanisms varies dramatically from country to country:– in some countries (e.g. Germany, Netherlands,

Belgium) < 10% of homes use terrestrial TV– in other countries (e.g. Spain, Italy, France, UK)

terrestrial TV is much more important• Opinions about the long-term importance of digital

terrestrial TV vary widely across Europe!

TV IN THE UK

10

Digital satellite (pay)

Analogue terrestrial Digital terrestrial

Digital cable

Primary TV sets

Analogue cable Digital satellite (free)

Satellite (pay)

Terrestrial

CableSatellite (free)

A QUESTION OF TIMING

• Mobile network operators want rapid access to the 700 MHz band and hope for even more spectrum later

• Broadcasters cannot move quickly because it takes time to:– re-equip consumers– re-engineer the transmitter networks

• Who decides?– National regulators/Governments– European Union– ITU (International Telecommunications Union)

EU HIGH-LEVEL GROUP

• European Commission established a High-Level Group (under Pascal Lamy) to agree the timetable for the transitions

• As consensus proved to be impossible, Lamy gave his personal recommendations:– mobile use of 700 MHz band in 2020 + 2 years– broadcast use of 470-694 MHz maintained until

2030, with flexibility to allow non-broadcast downlinks on a national basis

– stock-taking exercise in 2025

EU RADIO SPECTRUM POLICY GROUP

• Last week, the EU RSPG issued a draft opinion on“A long-term strategy on the future use of the UHF band (470-790MHz) in the EU”

– mobile use of 700 MHz band to start in either 2020 or 2022 (to be decided)

– TV use of 470-694 MHz to continue for the foreseeable future (i.e. 2030)

– other uses of 470-694 MHz permitted if they are compatible with TV usage

– more efficient technologies for TV (e.g. DVB-T2 and HEVC) should be adopted (mandated?)

– EC should clarify if possible compensation would conflict with rules on State Aid

EU RADIO SPECTRUM POLICY GROUP

• The EU RSPG also issued a draft opinion on“Common Policy Objectives for ITU WRC-15”– Member States should support no mobile

allocation in the band 470 – 694 MHz • Public consultation on both documents is now in

progress (until 12 January 2015)• As the RSPG opinions are likely to be vigorously

opposed by telecoms sector, it is important that VLV should respond to the consultations

CONCLUSIONS

• Terrestrial TV is still the most popular delivery platform – not just in the UK, but across Europe

• The UK’s switchover from analogue to digital in 2012 was successful – but it took 14 years– most people could see the benefits of digital

TV (more choice, better picture quality) • We must plan for further digital switchovers

(to more efficient digital TV standards)– it will be difficult to persuade people to adopt

the new technologies if the main improvement is “spectrum efficiency”