SAN DIEGO—Call it hedging it your bets.
Qualcomm Inc. said it is developing chipsets based on a rival mobile television standard—Digital Video Broadcasting–Handheld, or DVB-H—even while it works to complete its own MediaFlo network in the United States.
Qualcomm is spending about $800 million to build its MediaFlo network, and, so far, Verizon Wireless has agreed to deliver MediaFlo content to its subscribers once the network is up and running. Qualcomm is both building the network and supplying MediaFlo chips to handset vendors. While Qualcomm expects to complete its mobile television network this year, it’s not yet clear when carriers will be able to offer the handsets and subscription plans to make the service available to the public.
MediaFlo’s main competition could come from Crown Castle International Corp., which is building a rival mobile TV network using DVB-H technology. Thus, Qualcomm is essentially hedging its bets by selling chips for both networks.
Qualcomm joins Texas Instruments Inc. and others in supplying DVB-H chips.
Though Qualcomm has a historic dedication to licensing its own intellectual property, company spokesperson Jeremy James cited numerous examples of Qualcomm’s interest in supporting non-proprietary technologies. For example, Qualcomm makes chipsets for both CDMA and W-CDMA phones.
Regarding Qualcomm’s interest in DVB-H, James said that because some European carriers are anticipated to favor the DVB-H standard, Qualcomm would ultimately benefit both from playing a role in European markets and growing the mobile TV market in general.
