MediaFlo Good to Go for Japan

The ministry has recognized MediaFLO as one of two official technologies for nationwide mobile multimedia broadcasting services in Japan. This milestone signifies that MediaFLO-enabled mobile TV services may be deployed in Japan once spectrum is made available in 2011. Congrats to the team there as we have followed their course to enter the market here over the last few years, for example this video interview with Ali Zamari at Wireless Japan trade-show in 2007 and the presentation by Kazuhiko Masuda – President – MediaFLO Japan Planning Inc. at MoMo Tokyo later the same year.

According to the press release:

Last year, the MIC approved two MediaFLO mobile TV trials in the VHF and UHF spectrum bands led by MediaFLO Japan Planning Inc. (MJP) - a joint venture between Qualcomm and KDDI - in Okinawa Prefecture, and by Media Scope Inc. in Shimane Prefecture. Both trials have successfully shown the technical and business advantages that the MediaFLO platform provides and clear the path for commercial deployment.

The Okinawa trial marked the first time that MediaFLO technology has been trialed using VHF spectrum. Toyota Motor Corporation subsequently joined the MJP trial to test vehicular reception of MediaFLO signals on the highway and city streets, with positive performance results. The second phase of the Okinawa trial began this month using a mix of short- and long-format video content, music, clipcasting media and datacasting applications.

The ongoing Shimane trial employs a variety of MediaFLO services that include linear mobile TV and, for the first time, broadcast delivery of clipcasting media to large digital signage made by Samsung Japan. The trial illustrates how MediaFLO technology can be utilized for broadcast delivery of advertising, news and information services to the public at large. The trial is being conducted on UHF Channel 62 in shops, office parks, the Matsue Campus of Shimane University and nearby malls.

MediaFLO and ISDB-T technologies have been successfully tested on multi-mode mobile devices in Japan and Latin America. In countries where ISDB-T is being deployed as the terrestrial free-to-air (FTA) standard, MediaFLO technology can be implemented in multi-mode devices for the broadcast delivery of both premium content and value-added mobile media services. Qualcomm enables multi-mode devices based on MediaFLO, ISDB-T and DVB-H mobile broadcast technologies through its Universal Broadcast Modem (UBM) chipset.

The only other mobile broadcast technology recognized by the MIC for this purpose is ISDB-Tmm, an evolution of Japan’s digital TV (DTV) standard, ISDB-T.

Posted: 12 November 2009 | Filed: Japan Market, New Tech & Services | Feedback | Print |