Europian Commission has invited bids to launch new satellites to deliver mobile satellite services across Europe. If a new EU licensing plan for satellite operators achieves its goal than Europe can have Cheaper and more varied mobile communications services delivered by satellite by 2010. This implies that now operators do not have to move to 27 different national systems. Operators can now offer services such as high speed data, mobile TV, or emergency communications services through a single European selection procedure.
On the basis of bidders commercial and technical competence, Commission will initiate its selection. Second round of evaluation criteria includes geographic coverage, consumer and competitive benefits, public policy objectives and spectrum efficiency. Geographic coverage is the most important criterion: bidders must agree to cover at least 60 percent of E.U. territory when their service opens, and commercialize it in all E.U. countries within seven years. Efficient use of spectrum is very essential as the Commission has a frequency band of just 30MHz to play with for the whole of Europe. Terrestrial mobile phone operators will have more spectrum available to them and can further increase capacity. 7th Oct’08 is the last date to file application with the commission. As commission anticipates to launch satellite mobile data service by 2010. So the winner will be announced possibly in the middle of 2009.
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The European Commission (EC) has approved EUR 120 million of German state aid for the Theseus R&D project to develop and test new search technologies for the next-generation internet. The Theseus project will include both large companies and SMEs. The EC concluded that the state aid was in line with criteria outlined in the Research and Development and Innovation. Theseus aims to develop and test new search technologies and integrated information and communications technology services for the next-generation internet. It will also look to develop structured online access to cultural information for the public. The first phase will involve the allocation of R&D grants to larger companies including Empolis, SAP, Siemens and Deutsche Thomson. Grants will be made available to SMEs in later phases.
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The European Commission has confirmed its support for the use of DVB-H as the single European standard for digital TV broadcasting to mobile phones. After failing to reach an agreement with industry on a strategy for promoting mobile TV, the EC has now come with its own plans to encourage the new service. It recommends that member states work to facilitate and encourage the deployment of mobile TV services, specifically using the DVB-H standard. The EC has compared the matter to the promotion of GSM standards to encourage mobile telephony and said a single European standard is needed to ensure a global leadership position in the new market. Competing standards include the DMB system developed in Korea and MediaFLo, developed by US chipmaker Qualcomm. DVB-H is already being used or tested in 18 European countries.
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The European Commission (EC) has announced plans to refer Germany to the European Court of Justice for failing to remove new provisions in German law that could grant Deutsche Telekom a ‘regulatory holiday’ despite its dominance of the broadband market. EU Telecom Commissioner Viviane Reding said that Germany had been warned repeatedly that the new telecom law violated EU rules. She said the EC has decided to take legal action to ensure that Germany has a competitive and fully functioning broadband market.
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EC invites bid for its Mobile Satellite service
