France readying DVB-H services for mid-2008

French legislators said they anticipate DVB-H mobile TV services to launch by the summer of 2008, in advance of the Beijing Summer Olympics. France's minister of finance Christine Lagarde and minister of culture Christine Albanel said a call for bids will be issued in October--per current technical current specifications, the mobile TV platform will feature 15 to 17 broadcast channels. Regulators will also set aside capacity for public channels independent from the bidding process. Legislators have yet to determine whether the business model will favor free or premium programming. 

For more on the French DVB-H network:
- read this Rapid TV News article

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