The European Commission yesterday published a set of guidelines aimed at encouraging uptake of mobile TV services across the 27 EU member states. The Commission said its guidelines were aimed at avoiding a “legal vacuum” or “high degree of regulatory uncertainty” at a national level that would discourage investment in mobile TV. The guidelines called for a “one-stop-shop” approach (or at least a minimum number of players) in decisions to grant mobile TV authorisations, adding that it was planning an “objective, transparent and non-discriminatory” award criteria. However, it also hinted that it could withdraw mobile TV spectrum if it was not put to use within a reasonable time period in order to prevent spectrum hoarding. Requirements for quality of service, including indoor coverage, and optimal use of the spectrum should also be part of the award conditions, the Commission said.

“Successful commercial launches of Mobile TV in Austria, Italy, Finland and the Netherlands have proved that efficient authorisation procedures are a key factor for the fast take-up of Mobile TV,” said Viviane Reding, EU telecoms and media commissioner. The Commission first proposed a strategy for promoting mobile TV in the EU in July 2007, and endorsed DVB-H as the common standard for mobile TV in the EU in March 2008. The European Commission’s full communication can be viewed here.