France Moves Forward in Mobile TV Legislation

France's Bouygues Telecom says that it welcomes the move by the French Council of Ministers to approve the draft bill on the modernisation of audiovisual broadcasting and the television of tomorrow. This text is a necessary first step toward the emergence of mobile television in France.

Bouygues Telecom would like to reiterate that all of the French industrial players gathered within the Mobile TV Forum - which brings together television channels, mobile phone operators, handset manufacturers and stakeholders - have reached a consensus on the development of mobile television.

Several countries have already launched new mobile television services, including Japan, South Korea, South Africa and Italy. Most of the big European countries plan to launch commercial services in 2006 and 2007. Italy took advantage of the World Cup Football Games to launch Mobile TV via DVB-H in May 2006, becoming the first European country to offer this new service.

The commercial success of these services reflects the keen interest in personal, mobile television, which is confirmed by recent trials conducted in France. France has always been a pioneer in the audiovisual world and should not be left behind. Bouygues Telecom would thus like to see France set out on a similar path as soon as possible. For Nonce Paolini, Chief Operating Officer of Bouygues Telecom, "France simply has to launch mobile television in time for the Rugby World Cup games, to be hosted by our nation on 7 September 2007. This would create an excellent opportunity to move out of the stone age of costly, elitist mobile television services and into the golden age of personal mobile broadcast television affordable for all".

(c) cellular-news.com