Black Star TV is proud to officially announce the arrival of Mobile TV in Ghana! With this landmark event, the country’s telecommunications and broadcast media can now proudly boast of being the FIRST industry in Africa to introduce mobile TV on the continent.
Blackstar TV – a Ghanaian company, headed by the cream of Ghana’s entrepreneurial and media executives, has successfully secured the continental-wide license to deploy the revolutionary T-DMB technology that enables mobile phones to receive television broadcast signals.
What is T-DMB?
The introduction of T-DMB (Terrestrial Digital Multi-media Broadcasting) in Ghana ushers in an exciting breakthrough in media and broadcast communications, which will now enable consumers to watch tv on their mobile phones. Developed in Korea, T-DMB is a high-end state-of-the-art technology, that utilizes efficient compression technologies to provide high-quality mobile tv services on T-DMB phones as well as the latest models of mobile phones, laptops, GPS Navigators, PDA’s PMP’s, digital cameras and MP3 players – which all support T-DMB.
A twenty-four hour trial broadcast will commence in July 2007. Launched to coincide with the African Union (AU) conference in Accra, the technology will give all attending Heads of States the ability to watch television content during the conference on their personalized T-DMB phones. From September 2007 consumers in Ghana will be able to access and enjoy the service.
KEY FEATURES
-A multiple choice of digital-quality television channels
-CD-quality sound
-An array of radio station frequencies to select from
-Website Broadcast Service
-A choice of data channels
-Video Game downloading service
Economic Impact
The mobility and interactivity of this technology will help to positively compliment business growth in Ghana. Companies operating in Ghana will be able to use the platform to build and expand their commercial activities; television adverts can now reach its intended audience anytime of the day offering marketing executives lucrative advertising slots other than the key slots of breakfast, lunch and evening-news schedules. A marketing revolution is indeed about to hit the airwaves. To give further insight to the commercial possibilities that T-DMB offers, radio stations for example will be able to simulcast their programmes, allowing users to both hear and see the stations’ Disc Jockey hosting the programme. Traffic and Travel Information – allowing users to receive real-time traffic information on their mobile phones is expected to represent a lucrative revenue source for businesses that offer the service through T-DBM. A direct impact to the Ghanaian economy will be in the form of the construction of an assembly plant in the country. Black Star TV have negotiated with the Korean Manufacturers to establish the assembly plant in the country which will create jobs and add export revenue to the economy. T-DMB is a service provided via broadcasting networks, and as such is unaffected by network bottlenecks, enabling the delivery of large-volume multimedia content to a virtually unlimited number of users without loss of quality. When fully rolled-out, consumers in Ghana will be able to view a rich content of programs whilst on the move and benefit from a vast choice of digital-quality multiple channels.
T-DMB also allows CD-quality sound. The mobility of this technology is unprecedented and enables users to watch TV while on the move by resolving the spatial limitations of existing broadcast services.
To ensure its success Black Star TV has designed a rich programme content that will truly bring the best of African Movies, Hollywood and Nollywood Blockbusters, International News (BBC, CNN, DW-TV), community programmes, political debates, music videos to satiate the demand from Ghana’s MTV generation, ground-breaking documentaries, sports, educational programmes, science and technology channels, local and international radio broadcasts and internet content - all within the palm of the people.
In this our Jubilee Year, Black Star TV’s introduction of mobile tv in the country adds meaning to the phrase..”It is an amazing time to be a Ghanaian..”
How The Technology Works:
T-DMB uses existing broadcasting networks to transmit its content of digital data, audio and visual images. The broadcasting feature of this technology allows it to provide large capacity multi-media services in mobile environments. To de-mystify the complex engineering that lies at the core of T-DMB, it essentially utilizes efficient compression technologies to provide high-quality mobile TV services. The broadcast signal is then picked up by mobile phones and other mobile devices that are configured to support T-DMB.
Presently multimedia services that are provided through mobile communication networks are primarily conducted by the point-to-point method. Thus the growing number of users results in increasing network loads and reduced quality of service.
The breakthrough with T-DMB is that its broadcast technology can simultaneously deliver high-quality contents to vast unspecified audiences and the related infrastructure is less costly. T-DMB’s technology allows it to interface (join) with mobile communications network providers which are only able to support a limited number of voice and data services. T-DMB networks therefore, by interfacing with the networks of local Telcos (mobile phone service providers) can deliver large-capacity multimedia content, fully meeting consumers’ needs for a high-quality multimedia service.
The modern office complex of Black Star Tv, located in Accra, will house the distribution network that will receive content from radio and television stations and data from mobile communications operators, which is then relayed to the DMB transmitter for broadcasting and then received on the phone handsets of consumers.
In Ghana, ‘Onetouch’ of Ghana Telecom, is the first mobile phone service provider to collaborate with Black Star TV in making the service accessible to the consumer. In being the first of the four major Telcos in the country to collaborate with Black Star TV, subscribers to the One touch networks will from September 2007 be able to enjoy this innovation in media and broadcast technology.
The high-end technology of T-DMB chipsets reduces battery consumption, allowing users to enjoy up to three hours of broadcast viewing.
Cost:
T-DMB phonesets cost from GHC200.00 upwards. As with all mobile devices price variations vis-à-vis enhanced features will pertain. Those who own the latest models of mobile phones will however be able to purchase USB module terminals which when plugged into their phone handset, digital camera or laptop will serve as an antennae for receiving television broadcast signals from Black Star TV. These USB terminals will retail from GTHC100.00 – still significantly less than the price of most mobile phones being sold in Ghana.
Social Benefits:
Black Star TV’s launching of mobile tv service in Ghana will positively impact society in many diverse ways. Firstly its relative affordability makes T-DMB an ideal solution to the widening digital divide, whether between generations or income groups, extending the benefits of the information technology to all segments of society.
Distance learning becomes more practical as even the remote parts of the country will receive the service. The Broadcast Website Service, a feature of T-DMB, will bring the internet café to the office, home, taxi station or wherever the viewer is. When the mobile phone receiver is connected to a projector, whole classrooms and community audiences can view and listen to television content, be it religious programmes, political debates, edutainment programmes etc. The implementation of T-Commerce, T-Government and T-learning are all achievable with mobile tv.
Another key benefit of T-DMB is its ability to support the functions of NADMO (National Disaster Management Organization). This is because T-DMB can be received and watched anywhere anytime and can be provided on channels for free public purposes, making it a suitable medium for disaster warning (floods, fire, hurricanes and earthquake) broadcasting. According to the severity, warning messages can be simply displayed on the terminal screen, or a loud alarm given alerting users in time for them to better cope with the situation in an informed manner.
When linked to the security cameras that are in situ in Accra, Kumasi and other cities, the police service personnel will be able to view the areas in which they patrol and provide them with essential visual images to support their law enforcement and security functions.
A remarkable Achievement:
Ghana now joins the elite group of countries – namely: Korea, Japan, Germany, UK, India, China & France, where trial broadcasts of T-DMB commenced in 2006 with commercial services now taking place. The advent of mobile tv in Ghana positively indicates that the dividends of good governance, political and economic stability are being realized in Ghana. Through Black Star TV, the decision of the Korean Developers to choose a Ghanaian company as their partner and recipient of the continental-wide license to deploy this technology on the continent is testament to our growing stature in the international community. This week Mr.Kijoo Lee, Director General of the Radio and Broadcasting Strategic Planning Bureau (Government of Korea) will pay a visit to Ghana to officially launch the service. In welcoming Mr. Lee to Ghana, Black Star TV is honored to host the Director General and is well positioned to execute the responsibility which we hold in helping to positively chart a course in developing Africa’s Digital Age.
Mobile TV has arrived in Ghana – these are exciting times, and in the palm of our hands lets experience it together. – Black Star TV. h
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