Qualcomm, Nokia and broadcaster Yle said they would conduct the world’s first demonstration of the LTE Supplemental Downlink (SDL) technology in a TV broadcast band in Espoo, Finland, on 02 September. LTE SDL in a TV broadcast band provides new opportunities for broadcasters, is technically viable and does not harm Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT).
LTE SDL uses flexibility in the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) broadcast band to deliver advanced media services to tablets and smartphones. It is already supported on LTE networks and is expected to be supported in the early stages of 5G.
Qualcomm said the demonstration is relevant in the context of a proposal made by the European Commission to introduce a flexibility option in the 470-790 MHz (lower UHF) band, which is currently used by Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) networks and by wireless microphones using the gaps between DVB channels.
The flexibility option for the 470-694 MHz band is included in the draft decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the use of the 470-790 MHz frequency band in the Union, which was published in February this year.
Enrico Salvatori, SVP and president for Qualcomm EMEA, said LTE SDL will not only enable broadcasters to reach tablets and smartphones, but will enable new services such as contextualised and individualised advertising, on-demand TV, and mobile payments.
