IBC, Amsterdam, September 13, 2001: Ten of Europe's leading companies in the field of broadcasting, multimedia and communications have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote the use of the DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting) and other digital broadcast standards for the delivery of multimedia content using Internet Protocol standards.Digital broadcasting networks offer a very cost effective and spectrum efficient way to deliver popular broadband multimedia content to an unlimited number of users at home or on the move.
Open to members from throughout the industry, the Forum will act as a catalyst to facilitate the growth of content-rich multimedia applications for the broadband marketplace by developing a common set of implementation processes and operating standards. Industry-wide adoption of these implementation processes and operating standards will enable service providers to reach more users, reduce service deployment costs, and provide faster access to advanced interactive content such as games, music, local advertisements, and videos. The IP Datacasting Forum, a non-profit organisation, will promote the implementation of IP based services over one-way or two-way (or multiple types of) digital broadcast platforms.
More specifically the forum targets are to demonstrate end to end solutions and resolve key business opportunities during 2002 in order to enable commercial services in 2003.
The founding companies of the IP Datacasting Forum are:
- Crown Castle International
- Deutsche Telekom
- Digita
- Nokia
- NTL Broadcast
- Philips
- Retevision
- SkyStream Networks
- Teracom
- The Fantastic Corporation
Ken McCann of NTL, chairman of the IP Datacasting Forum, said: "The goals of the Forum are well aligned with the rapid convergence of broadcasting and broadband telecommunications. The founding companies have a huge breadth of expertise in these areas and we plan to show that open standards can make a major contribution to the delivery of multimedia content. IP Datacasting
opens the door to many exciting and attractive new services."
As the catalyst in developing a common set of implementation processes and operating standards for new datacasting initiative, the IPDC Forum aims to demonstrate end-to-end solutions that address key business opportunities with solutions deployed in commercial applications. The Forum also aims to identify and resolve key business issues affecting IP datacasting services, to promote product interoperability and ensure security of content delivery and to encourage and facilitate pilot projects to simulate industry adoption.
About the founding companies:
Crown Castle engineers, deploys, owns and operates technologically advanced, shared wireless infrastructure. It offers near-universal broadcast coverage in the United Kingdom and significant wireless communications coverage to 68 of the top 100 US markets and more than 90 percent population coverage in the UK, and Australia. Pro forma for all closed and previously announced transactions, Crown Castle owns, operates, and manages over 14,000 wireless communication towers internationally. In addition, Crown Castle has development rights to 4,000 fibre exchange sites in the UK. In Italy, Crown Castle and RAI, through RaiWay, offer near-universal broadcast coverage. For more information about Crown Castle visit: www.crowncastle.com
MediaBroadcast is the Broadcasting unit of Deutsche Telekom, Europe`s leading telecommunications company. The German broadcasting network provider offers a wide range of services for terrestrial digital distribution platforms, not only traditional broadcast products but also broadcast-related innovative services. For more information about MediaBroadcast visit: www.telekom.de/t-mediabroadcast or send an eMail to marketing.broadcast@telekom.de
Digita Oy is responsible for broadcasting radio and television programmes in Finland. It constructs the digital terrestrial radio and television broadcasting network and develops new digital broadcasting services. Digita provides in the whole also its other services, especially planning, construction and maintenance of wireless telecommunication networks. In 2000, Digita's turnover was 68 million euros. Digita has 390 employees.
The Fantastic Corporation (Zug, Switzerland) is a leading provider of software solutions for data broadcasting. This is an emerging communications technology which combines point-to-multipoint digital broadcasting with point-to-point Internet connectivity, in order to deliver rich interactive media content to PCs, digital set-top boxes or handheld devices (including 3G mobile phones) over any broadband IP network. By merging the inherent bandwidth and speed benefits of broadcasting technologies with the interactivity of the Internet, data broadcast provides superior content distribution and interaction in an increasingly IP-centric world. Fantastic is a public company, quoted on the Frankfurt Stock exchange using the symbol: FAN. Visit our website at www.fantastic.com.
Nokia is the world leader in mobile communications. Backed by its experience, innovation, user-friendliness and secure solutions, the company has become the leading supplier of mobile phones and a leading supplier of mobile, fixed broadband and IP networks. By adding mobility to the Internet Nokia creates new opportunities for companies and further enriches the daily lives of people. Nokia is a broadly held company with listings on six major exchanges. For more information visit www.nokia.com
The Broadcast division of NTL Incorporated (NYSE: NLI; Nasdaq Europe: NTLI) has a 46-year history in transmission and has helped pioneer the technologies of the digital age. 22 million UK homes receive ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 via NTL's broadcast transmitter networks. NTL Broadcast also provides transmission for most UK independent radio stations, both analogue and digital. NTL provides end-to-end media solutions to the broadcast industry across terrestrial, cable and satellite platforms. This includes satellite uplinking, satellite newsgathering, outside broadcast facilities, programme presentation, play-out and distribution. NTL is assisting other countries with new broadcast systems and the introduction of digital services. Operations are already established in south-east Asia and Australia. Further information can be found at www.ntl.com/broadcast
Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands is one of the world's biggest electronics companies and Europe's largest, with sales of EUR 37.9 billion in 2000. It is a global leader in color television sets, lighting, electric shavers, color picture tubes for televisions and monitors, and one-chip TV products. Its 212,390 employees in more than 60 countries are active in the areas of lighting, consumer electronics, domestic appliances, components, semiconductors, and medical systems. Philips is quoted on the NYSE (symbol: PHG), London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and other stock exchanges. News from Philips is located at www.news.philips.com
Retevision is a leading company in the distribution and broadcast of TV and radio signals and has its own infrastructure, with over 2000 centres distributed throughout the National territory, 18000 kilometres of network transmission and over 11000 kilometres of optic fibre cable. Retevision forms part of Auna Group, one of the most important telecommunications groups in Spain, and has launched over 50 basic voice, data and Internet services on to the market. It has revolutionised the world of the Internet by becoming a provider of advanced integrated multimedia services, which range from the most basic to the most sophisticated and personalised services. In 2001 Retevision has 2800 employees.
SkyStream Networks is an international networking infrastructure company whose products enable service providers and broadcasters to deliver digital services like content delivery, satellite broadband delivery, corporate communications and enhanced television. SkyStream's media routers and content management software allow service providers to deliver media-rich content with a consistently high level of performance and quality to millions of people or multiple locations closer to the user, leveraging the global reach of digital television, satellite and cable networks. SkyStream's customers are satellite, broadcast, Internet and cable companies around the world, including Clear Channel, DotCast, EchoStar Communications Corporation, Europe Online, Gilat, Granite Broadcasting, iBlast, NewSkiesSatellites, Pacific Convergence Corporation, SpeedCast and Telefonica. SkyStream Networks' Website can be found on the Internet at www.skystream.com.
Teracom, a leading network operator engaged in broadcasting and transmitting radio and TV, also provides telecom and information services as well as facility leasing services in masts and buildings. Moreover, Teracom services equipment and accepts consultancy assignments. The Teracom Group includes a number of subsidiary and associated companies that provide supplementary products and services. The Teracom Group employs 800, and Group Sales are slightly more than 1.5 billion Swedish crowns. For more information about Teracom visit: www.teracom.se
For further information, please contact:
Bruce Randall
NTL Broadcast
Tel. +44 1962 822582
e-mail bruce.randall@ntl.com
Stephen Arnold
Crown Castle International
Tel. + 44 (0) 1926 416 870
email: stephen.arnold@crowncastle.com
Jürgen Behnke
Deutsche Telekom
Tel. +49 (0) 228 181 14373
email: juergen.behnke@telekom.de
Riitta Kontula
Digita Oy
Tel. +358 20 411 7242
email: riitta.kontula@digita.fi
Torbjoern Winther
The Fantastic Corporation
Tel. +41 41 728 87 22
e-mail: t.winther@fantastic.com
Damian Stathonikos
Nokia Ventures Organization
Tel. +358 40 768 7734
email: damian.stathonikos@nokia.com
Simon Poulter
Philips
Tel. +1 408-617 5875, Cell: +1.408-893 6151, GSM: +31 6 510 66949 (Europe/APAC)
email Simon.Poulter@philips.com
Christine Yum Lenz
SkyStream Networks
Tel: +1 (408) 616-3312
email: Christine@skystream.com
Frédéric Maizeret
Teracom AB
Tel. +46 8 55 54 20 22
e-mail: frederic.maizeret@teracom.se