Mobile TV one step closer

The Broadcasting Committee yesterday selected six service providers of terrestrial digital multimedia broadcasting, or DMB. With the committee’s selection, the competition between terrestrial and satellite DMB service providers will likely increase in as soon as a couple of months. DMB provides high-quality broadcasting services including movies, news, traffic information and weather reports while the receiver is on the move. The service is provided through mobile phones or a transmitter installed on a moving vehicle. Terrestrial DMB will likely have a trial service in the Seoul metropolitan area in May. TV broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS, however, will launch their official terrestrial DMB service in May or June. Full-scale satellite DMB services will start in May. The DMB market appears promising. The Samsung Economic Research Institute recently estimated that 8.5 million individuals would subscribe to terrestrial DMB and 6 million to satellite DMB by 2010. The Electronics and Telecommunication Research Institute said by 2010, more than 10 million would subscribe to terrestrial DMB, or twice as many as satellite DMB subscribers. The institute also said the DMB market would be worth 12.2 trillion won ($12 billion), with an additional 4.8 trillion won generated in secondary markets by 2010. Market analysts say terrestrial DMB service will be more popular than satellite because it is free. Satellite DMB service costs 13,000 won a month. Currently, TU Media, whose major shareholder is SK Telecom, is the only satellite DMB service provider. The company plans to invest 700 billion won over the next five years to strengthen its programming as it competes with terrestrial DMB service providers. by Lee Ho-jeong