DVB-H devs agree royalties, want fast rollout

The developers of DVB-H, the mobile television broadcast standard, have agreed royalty fees for using the technology.

Firms who hold patents involved in DVB-H include France Telecom, LG Electronics, Nokia and Samsung Electronics. They are working on a joint agreement so it can be licensed and developed into products by other manufacturers.

The group said the royalty fees agreed were "designed to encourage broad scale adoption of the DVB-H technology in the very near future". They include discounts until 2011 to encourage early uptake.

Patent management firm Sisvel, which is working on joint licensing with the developers, said: "A final agreement is expected before the summer and a DVB-H licence for third parties should become available shortly thereafter."

Roberto Dini, from Sisvel, said the royalty agreement was a "first crucial step". He said the developers were "willing to compromise on their individual interests in view of the overriding public interest of having certainty about the cost of intellectual property essential to implement this innovative technology".

Last month the European Union said DVB-H was its "preferred technology for terrestrial mobile broadcasting".

A group of influential UK television experts recently suggested DVB-H, standing for digital video broadcasting-handheld, should be used for free-to-air broadcast of the five public service channels following switchover.