DVB-H may not be dead yet

Yesterday's announcement that AT&T had agreed to purchase $2.5 billion in 700 MHz spectrum from privately-held Aloha Partners, parent firm of DVB-H proponent Hiwire, created some confusion about the future DVB-H in the United States.

Hiwire, the only remaining DVB-H player in the U.S., was planning to use that 700 MHz  spectrum to deploy a nationwide DVB-H network. The company had launched a DVB-H trial in Las Vegas with partner T-Mobile USA.

With AT&T's purchase of that spectrum, it became unclear as to the future of Hiwire and its DVB-H initiative. According to Scott Wills, president and COO of Hiwire, AT&T didn't just purchase the 700 MHz spectrum--it also purchased the assets of Hiwire, which includes the tower sites and the infrastructure equipment as well as access to the entire DVB-H ecosystem. In addition, Wills says that the current DVB-H trial being conducted in Las Vegas with T-Mobile USA will continue through the end of the year.

"We believe that there is a huge potential to mobile TV and Aloha is enthusiastic about it," Wills said in an interview with FierceMobileContent this morning. "The main issue that still needs to be addressed is consumer demand for mobile TV, and that is what Hiwire was designed to prove." -Sue  

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