US technology giant, Qualcomm has won Ofcom’s L-band spectrum auction. The company is likely to use the frequencies to launch a mobile TV offering in the UK, which it trialled in Cambridge two years ago, in partnership with Sky.
Qualcomm already has a mobile TV proposition in the US, where it offers the service in partnership with two major operators. The service it offers does not utilise mobile networks to deliver content, but a separate broadcast network, specifically built for mobile TV. Qualcomm is expected to build a similar network in the UK.
However, MediaFLO, the method of mobile TV delivery Qualcomm uses is different to the DVB-H technology, promoted by Viviane Reding as the standard for Europe.
Others that bid for the spectrum included infrastructure company Arqiva, European MVNO, Vectone, and satellite radio operator, WorldSpace. O2 was initially involved in the spectrum race, but later pulled out.