Clearwire to partner with ICO on mobile TV trial

Broadcast mobile TV technology DVB-H scored another point stateside as Clearwire Corp. announced it has agreed to use the technology as it collaborates on a new mobile TV trial with ICO Global Communications Ltd.
The trial, which is set to begin early next year in Raleigh, N.C., will test the mobile video broadcast system and examine the feasibility of using Clearwire’s 2.5 GHz spectrum and ICO’s 2 GHz spectrum more efficiently. ICO is also planning a similar trial in Las Vegas, where MediaFLO USA Inc. and HiWire L.L.C. first launched their trials.
For the trial, ICO plans to integrate is mobile interactive media services, which delivers consumer entertainment and communications services, with Clearwire’s mobile broadband network.
The depth of programming was mostly left up in the air, with companies only saying that ICO “will provide multiple channels of high quality mobile video to large-screen user devices.”
Alcatel-Lucent has been selected to supply the system architecture and design based on the DVB-H standard. Hughes Network Systems will provide the device to be used in the trial.
“Our next-generation wireless personal broadband networks are built to deliver data, voice and video over a single network,” said Scott Richardson, chief strategy officer for Clearwire. “Working with ICO to trial an interactive mobile video element that can potentially enhance our service offering not only in areas where we don’t intend to build our own network, but that can also potentially enhance the use of infrastructure and spectrum where our coverage overlaps, makes a lot of sense.”