Transcript CHANGING TECHNOLOGIES: Implications for viewers & listeners

CHANGING
TECHNOLOGIES:
Implications for viewers & listeners
Philip Laven
([email protected])
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)
TV
Before 2012
TV
2012
Mobile
Stage 2
TV
Mobile
Stage 3
TV & Mobile
Mobile
500
600
700
Frequency (MHz)
800
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
Primary TV sets
Analogue terrestrial
Digital terrestrial
Digital cable
Analogue cable
Digital satellite (free)
Digital satellite (pay)
10
Terrestrial
Cable
Satellite (free)
Satellite (pay)
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”