Press room Abertis Telecom tests new television and emergency management services on cell phones The Chorist project moves forward in the use of telecommunications to manage emergencies. For the fourth year running, Abertis Telecom is the Official Supplier of Mobile TV Networks at the Mobile World Congress 2009.Barcelona, February 24th, 2009 The most important meeting of the mobile telephone industry in the world starts on Monday in Barcelona, with the participation once again of abertis telecom, the telecommunications infrastructure operator of the abertis group. For the fourth year running, and since the Mobile World Congress was first held in Spain, abertis telecom is the Official Supplier of Mobile TV Networks, for which it has deployed seven telecommunications networks, both at the Congress site and in the city of Barcelona.
These networks, introduced to supply a service for the various existing standards, permit back-up, monitoring and checking for the operation of the applications and contents developed for the mobile supports.
For Sergi T rtola, Director of Technology for abertis telecom, We are not facing a technological, experimental challenge. The technology for mobile television services exists and works. The step needed for the definitive launch of mobile television is having proper regulations to make it a success. There are already audiovisual services on mobiles, but they are not broadcast services. True mobile television will arrive with services based on broadcasting, which is the most effective and efficient system for sending out contents from one transmitter to a lot of receivers.
This year s new feature is the demonstrations of standard DVB-SH, a communications system that combines the terrestrial network and satellite capacity.
First demonstrations of mobile TV with DVB-SH technology
abertis telecom is deploying for this year s Mobile World Congress seven networks to provide coverage for the mobile TV service demonstrations, in the various existing standards:
DVB-H: Digital Video Broadcasting - Handheld
DVB-SH: Digital Video Broadcasting - Satellite Handheld
MediaFLO: Media Forward Link Only
On this occasion, and unlike previous years, the use of DVB-SH technology will allow us to make the first live demonstrations of mobile TV on S band in the city of Barcelona.
The infrastructure deployed by abertis telecom includes its relay and broadcasting facilities at the Collserola Tower, the capacity of the Hispasat and Eutelsat satellite systems, as well as several transmitters set up in the city and at the Fira de Barcelona site, where the event is being held, which will complete coverage for transmitting both inside and outside the Congress Halls.
abertis telecom will relay through these networks the programming of dozens of radio and television channels from the main Spanish and international broadcasting companies and the Media Partners of the GSM Association, such as the CNBC TV channel and the re-transmission of the Congress channel, Mobile World TV, being produced during the event itself.
CHORIST project
The CHORIST (Integrating communications for enhanced environmental risk management and citizens safety) project will be presented in the context of the Mobile World Congress and the results of the first trials being run will be reported.
Among CHORIST s aims is the sending out of alert messages by organisations involved in emergency management to the greatest number of people in the shortest possible time. To achieve this, the main supports common to the general public are used, such as digital television (DTT), mobile phones (Cell Broadcast), radio and others. During the MWC there will be demonstrations on how this technology can be employed to alert the general public, by means of a common interface that is visual and easy to operate.
Alongside abertis telecom, a total of 16 companies and organisations from eight European countries take part in CHORIST. The project, financed by the European Community within the 6th R+D Framework Programme, which ends this coming May, lays down the conceptual and technological bases for facilitating the coordination of the various emergency bodies internationally. As these bodies will be managing the same data, they can deploy their resources in a coordinated way through communication networks with differing technology (TETRA, Wimax). This system also transmits the same alert message to the general public in cases of maximum alert.
About abertis telecom
abertis telecom is one of Europe s main operators of telecommunications infrastructure and services. It possesses the biggest network of locations (over 3,200) in Spain for the broadcasting and relay of audiovisual signals. It is part of abertis, international group in mobility and telecommunications infrastructure management.
abertis telecom is actively promoting the development of mobile television, leading projects with a high international profile and assisting in the validation of DVB-H and DVB-SH technology through WingTV (Wireless, Integrated, Nomadic, GPRS-UMTS&TV, handheld terminals) and B21C (Broadcast for the 21st Century). It is also working on the Spanish project to develop digital television, FURIA (Futura Red Integrada Audiovisual).
Alongside countries that are more advanced in the European audiovisual industry, such as Finland, Germany, the United Kingdom and France, Spain is one of the pioneers in the pre-commercial launch of DTT on mobile terminals.
