- Companies Join Forces to Demonstrate the Potential of Mobile TV in Europe -
SAN DIEGO and BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM), a leading developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies, products and services, and Abertis Telecom, one of the leading telecommunications infrastructure and services operators in Europe, today announced that they will collaborate to bring a live MediaFLO(TM) broadcast mobile TV demonstration to Mobile World Congress, February 16-19, 2009. At this year's conference and for the first time, the MediaFLO network will broadcast both at the show venue and throughout the city of Barcelona to showcase the high-quality mobile TV coverage and performance MediaFLO technology delivers in a range of geographic environments.
Abertis Telecom is collaborating with Qualcomm to promote mobile broadcast services at this year's Mobile World Congress. Demonstrating a citywide MediaFLO network provides an opportunity for show attendees and potential mobile TV ecosystem partners to witness the many advantages of mobile broadcast services first-hand. Abertis Telecom, as a telecommunication infrastructure operator, believes that telecom networks and infrastructure providers should be ready to support different technologies and business models that best meet consumer needs within an open and transparent regulatory structure.
The MediaFLO demonstration will feature more than 30 channels of content, including a large collection of Spanish programming from Abertis, and international channels from France24, ProSieben and others. IP datacasting, Clipcasting(TM) media and interactive services for voting, chatting and m-commerce, as well as updating social networking sites while watching mobile TV shows, will round out the applications on display. Devices will include commercial and pre-commercial handsets, mobile TV receivers and Wi-Fi(R) accessories for MediaFLO that allow Wi-Fi enabled smartphones to receive live television broadcasts using the MediaFLO platform. The Wi-Fi accessories are concept devices intended to show a possible means for bringing broadcast mobile TV services to the large installed base of smartphone users.
"Setting up a citywide demo network allows us to display the innovative services supported by MediaFLO technology and new device categories that will help unlock what some industry analysts predict will be a global market opportunity approaching USD$10 billion in the next five years," said Neville Meijers, senior vice president and general manager of Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies. "In addition to superior channel capacity, the MediaFLO platform supports interactive broadcast mobile TV and other value-added features, which directly translate into increased revenue opportunities for mobile TV providers."
The citywide MediaFLO network is supported by three transmitter sites placed throughout the city of Barcelona. The 8 MHz network will run on European Channel 56 (754 center frequency). MediaFLO technology demonstrations can be seen at Mobile World Congress in Qualcomm's booth (Booth B53, Hall 8) and Abertis' booth (Courtyard 11, CY11, Spanish Pavilion).
The MediaFLO broadcast mobile TV platform is designed for the delivery of high-quality entertainment and information, including streaming video and audio, Clipcasting media, IP datacasting and interactive services. MediaFLO technology is an open, globally recognized technology standardized by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and recommended by ITU-R for the broadcasting of multimedia and data applications. Invented for mobility, MediaFLO technology provides increased capacity and coverage, as well as reduced costs for multimedia content delivery to mobile devices. More information about MediaFLO technology is available at www.mediaflo.com.
Abertis Telecom is one of the leading telecommunications infrastructure and services operators in Europe, with more than 3,200 sites and the largest network of audiovisual broadcasting and distribution sites in Spain. Abertis Telecom is leading the rollout of digital terrestrial television in Spain and is working on the development of mobile DTT. The company has been the driving force behind several projects in Spain and Europe. Abertis Telecom is part of Abertis, one of the global leaders in infrastructure management in the area of mobility and telecommunications, headquartered in Barcelona, Spain. For more information, visit Abertis on the Internet: www.abertis.com, Abertis Telecom: www.abertistelecom.com.
Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on CDMA and other advanced technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Qualcomm is included in the S&P 100 Index, the S&P 500 Index and is a 2008 FORTUNE 500(R) company. For more information, please visit www.qualcomm.com.
Qualcomm is a registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. Clipcasting, FLO and MediaFLO are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated. Wi-Fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Qualcomm Contacts:
Mona Klausing, Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies
Phone: 1-858-651-4268
Email: mediaflo_pr@qualcomm.com
Tina Asmar, Corporate Communications
Phone: 1-858-845-5959
Email: corpcomm@qualcomm.com
John Gilbert, Investor Relations
Phone: 1-858-658-4813
Email: ir@qualcomm.com
