Wireless Federation

British Sky Broadcasting Group (BSkyB), the UK’s largest pay-TV company, added 259,000 new broadband customers in the fourth quarter of its financial year ended 30 June 2007, to take its broadband total to 716,000, 16,000 higher than forecasted.

Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News

COMMIT Inc. has licensed SKY MobileMedia Inc.’s SKY-MAP Mobile Applications Software Platform for use with its dual-mode TD-SCDMA/GPRS chipset solutions. Under this agreement, COMMIT’s TD-SCDMA chipsets and hardware reference boards will be pre-integrated with the SKY-MAP Mobile Applications Software Platform. The resulting complete 3G multimedia handset reference solutions will reduce time and R&D costs for manufacturers as they design and launch devices using China’s TD-SCDMA wireless standard.

“With the rapidly accelerating deployment of TD-SCDMA networks in China, our customers require pre-integrated hardware plus software solutions that reduce time-to-market for TD-SCDMA wireless multimedia handsets,” stated Evan Yu, CEO of COMMIT. “The integration of SKY-MAP with COMMIT’s advanced chipset technology creates the industry-leading TD-SCDMA reference solution, enabling handset manufacturers to quickly develop and launch feature-rich 3G handsets.”

The SKY-MAP software solution for 3G multimedia phones based on COMMIT’s TD-SCDMA chipsets includes the market-tested SKY-MMI providing call management and PIM functions, SMS, support for multiple Asian and European languages, as well as market-proven SKY-MAP applications and middleware engines for Browsing and MMS. The SKY-MAP solution also includes music, camera, video support and multimedia streaming which will take advantage of the high data rates enabled by COMMIT’s TD-SCDMA technology. Modular SKY-MAP applications and engines for EMAIL, DRM, data synchronization, Java, and 2D graphics such as Flash-lite and SVG are also available. In addition, the solution is supported by SKY’s powerful RapidPLUS development and customization tools, enabling handset OEMs and ODMs to rapidly design and test highly-differentiated and uniquely branded TD-SCDMA 3G handsets.

“We are very pleased that COMMIT has chosen SKY-MAP as their applications software platform,” stated Naser Partovi, CEO, SKY MobileMedia. “TD-SCDMA is poised for rapid growth, and COMMIT is at the forefront of this wireless technology. Partnering together, SKY and COMMIT are taking a leadership position in this exciting new 3G market.”

Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News

Carphone Warehouse, Sky and Channel 4 could all be seeking to get into the UK’s mobile TV business according to a document released by Ofcom late last week.

The communications watchdog said it has received two applications for the Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) national radio multiplex licence, which will allow the licensees to broadcast of a number of radio services as well as other applications, including mobile television.

One of the applicants for the licence is the 4 Digital Group, which is 55 per cent owned by Channel 4, 10 per cent by Carphone and 10 per cent by Sky News. Other shareholders include Emap, UTV Radio and UBC Media.

Using a network of 174 transmitters, the group is targeting coverage of 86.6 per cent of the adult population of the UK.

The other applicant is National Grid Wireless, which proposes to use a network of 40 transmitters, which it estimates will provide outdoor coverage of 71 per cent of the adult population of the UK.

Ofcom intends to make an award decision within four months. The service will be able to launch any time from the beginning of 2008, once the spectrum for this licence becomes available.

UK MVNO, Virgin Mobile, launched the UK’s first mobile TV service using the existing DAB IP network in October. The service has been criticised for quality issues and had only attracted 7,000 users as of mid-January.