With the DTT platform being squeezed,what are the alternative platforms for content providers?

Brought to you by The Content Production & Delivery Group

Join this topical half-day event to hear from key industry insiders and explore the future for content providers.

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About the event

With the provisional agreement that mobile broadband services for EMEA would become aligned with those of other regions, and only just after completing the move of television from 800M Hz to 700M Hz, will the UK now need to go further to meet the requirements of this proposal? With the DTT platform now becoming overcrowded due to the relocation of existing channels, what are the future platform options for content providers?
 
At the World Radio Conference this year, it was provisionally agreed that EMEA would be bought in to line with the other regions and allocate the 700MHz spectrum for mobile broadband services. This potentially will bring economies of scale for the mobile industry, from the ability to roam seamlessly on an international level, to the production of devices which will be a common form factor on a global basis.
 
However in the UK, we have only just moved television from the 800MHz band in to the 700MHz block and this will now require an additional engineering exercise to comply with this proposal in to 600MHz. As well as DTT, Programme Making & Special Events (PMSE) occupies the 700MHz band.
 
The 800MHz & 2.6GHz bands are yet to be auctioned (due next year) and surely demand for additional mobile broadband services needs to be actually justified by usage, prior to allocating additional capacity now?
 
Initially the 600MHz band was to be used for increased DTT capacity, which would have enhanced the Freeview platform with additional channels. Now existing channels in the 700MHz band need to be reallocated in to the 600MHz block, which will not allow for this potential expansion. Therefore with the DTT platform being squeezed, what are the alternative platforms for content providers?
Speakers at this thought provoking event include:
  • 'DTT: The cornerstone for the delivery TV services to UK viewers', Chris Nokes, Principal R&D Engineer at BBC Research & Development
  • 'Achieving a sustainable DTT platform in the UK', Peter Couch, Head of Strategy Development for Digital Platforms at Arqiva
  • 'Protecting the Future of the DTT Platform from the Mobile Data Capacity Squeeze', Graham Plumb of Ofcom 
  • 'Freeview: protecting value and accessibility to UK citizens', Ilse Howling from Freeview 
As with all Cambridge Wireless events, during the day there will be ample networking and opportunities to discuss the event’s hot topics.
 
 
This event is FREE to members of Cambridge Wireless. Tickets for non-members are £155 plus VAT. To join Cambridge Wireless as a member and attend future events for free, please visit: www.cambridgewireless.co.uk/sign-up
 

You can follow @CambWireless on Twitter and tweet about this event using #CWDDC.

The Digital Delivery and Content SIG is championed by Tim Cook of Arqiva and Graham Norgett of CellMetric. We are also extremely grateful to PwC for hosting this event. To follow this SIG on Twitter, @CambWireless, please use #CWDDC

Agenda

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The information supplied below may be subject to change before the event.

14:00

Registration & Networking over refreshments

14:30

Introduction and welcome to the event from Digital Broadcasting and Multimedia SIG Champion Graham Norgett of Cellmetric

14:40

Welcome from our host, Stephen Hart, Transaction Services Director, PwC

14:50

DTT: the cornerstone for the delivery TV services to UK viewers; Chris Nokes, Principal R&D Engineer, BBC Research & Development

This talk will explain the squeeze being experienced by the DTT platform as demands for spectrum for mobile broadband grow, and explore the long-term importance of the platform for delivering TV content. It will discuss how, together with other platforms, such as Freesat, YouView and cable, it provides the cornerstone for the delivery of high quality content, relied upon by millions of UK viewers.

15:10

Q&A

15:15

Achieving a sustainable DTT platform in the UK; Peter Couch, Head of Strategy Development for Digital Platforms, Arqiva

Recognising the importance of the DTT platform to the UK consumer as the platform of choice what steps are being taken to ensure the sustainability of this platform over the long term against a backdrop of continued demands for the spectrum on which it depends.

15:35

Q&A

15:40

Refreshments and networking

16:10

Freeview: protecting value and accessibility to UK citizens; Ilse Howling, Managing Director, Freeview

16:30

Q&A

16:35

Protecting the future of the DTT platform from the Mobile Data Capacity squeeze; Graham Plumb, Principal Advisor, Radio and TV Broadcast, Ofcom

This talk will outline the challenges to spectrum availability posed by consumers’ insatiable demand for
mobile broadband data. It will address the likely impact on the availability of spectrum for DTT and what
steps Ofcom is taking to protect the future of DTT.

16:55

Q&A

17:00

Panel Discussion with all speakers, Chaired by Graham Norgett of Cellmetric

17:30

Fill in Evaluation Forms / Event closes

Speakers

Chris Nokes - Senior Technical Advisor, Ofcom

Chris is Head of Distribution Core Technologies Section at BBC Research & Development. With over thirty years' experience in Broadcasting R&D, Chris has been involved in the development of digital television since 1994, including as a key contributor to the DVB-T2 technical study group, and editor of the DVB-T2 specification and Chair of the RF Group of the UK Digital Television Group (DTG).

Graham Plumb - Principal Advisor, Radio and TV Broadcasting, Ofcom

SIG Champions

Nadia Aziz - Innovation Consultant, Unbounded Future Ltd

Nadia is an Evangelist of emerging technologies with an expertise in AR & VR and IoT technologies. She has advised C-level executives in Telecom and Media organisations for digital transformation and M&A projects over more than a decade. While being a SIG Champion of Future Devices and Technologies at Cambridge Wireless, she has recently co-founded Unbounded Future, a Deeptech consulting firm based in London. Previously Nadia led Emerging Technologies at NTT Data UK where she supervised R&D and innovation in Augmented (AR) & Virtual Reality (VR), AI, and IoT. Nadia is a supporter of Women in STEM initiatives and is a mentor at the University College London (UCL) IXN programme. She is an industry advisor to IoTerra, a USA-based B2B marketplace for IoT products and was a co-producer for the GIANT Health Event.

David Crawford - Emeritus Professor, Computer Science & Electronic Engineering, University of Essex, Professor, Digital Media Research, Ravensbourne University

David Crawford is Visiting Professor at University of Essex Colchester, and Emeritus Professor at Ravensbourne University London. David has worked for over 50 years across the telecoms/broadcast industries and UK academic institutions. His research interests are in new imaging techniques, applications for mixed reality technologies, and networks for multidimensional media. David facilitates and lectures in the UK on Degree Apprenticeship courses, promoting work-based learning curricula and collaborative industry-academia training.

David has worked in senior positions at BT, RE, Crown Castle and Harris Broadcast, and as a Director of a start-up company, TeamCast, in France. He has run his own technical consultancy company, and chairs and presents regularly at international events. David is a Member of the Royal Television Society, Fellow of SMPTE, Special-Interest-Group Champion for Cambridge Wireless on Content Production & Delivery, and Honorary Chairman of the Creative Science Foundation. He has previously served as a Council/Board Member of the Institute of Engineering & Technology (IET), the Conference Chair at IBC, and Executive Chair at the ‘mixed reality’ Community Interest Company, PlayLa.bZ.

Tony Lavender - Managing Partner, Plum Consulting

Tony Lavender is a managing partner at Plum Consulting. He has more than 35 years experience in technology, communications regulation, policy and spectrum management. His clients include governments, equipment vendors, network operators and regulators. Tony was a specialist adviser to the UK Parliament 2016 Culture, Media and Sport Committee Inquiry into “Establishing world class connectivity throughout the UK”, he chairs the Steering Board of the UK Spectrum Policy Forum and he was a member of the UK Government’s Expert Panel, established as part of the UK Spectrum Strategy, on “Incorporating Social Value into Spectrum Allocation Decisions”. He has worked on a wide range of studies including on the 5G mmWave ecosystem, spectrum sharing, spectrum valuation and more broadly on electronic communications infrastructure strategy. Tony is a Chartered Engineer and a member of the UK Institution of Engineering and Technology.

Chris Nokes - Senior Technical Advisor, Ofcom

Chris is Head of Distribution Core Technologies Section at BBC Research & Development. With over thirty years' experience in Broadcasting R&D, Chris has been involved in the development of digital television since 1994, including as a key contributor to the DVB-T2 technical study group, and editor of the DVB-T2 specification and Chair of the RF Group of the UK Digital Television Group (DTG).

Event Location

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Location info

PwC, Abacus House, Castle Park, Cambridge, CB3 0AN

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