Helsinki, Finland, December 15, 2003 - Leading Finnish broadcast, content and mobile communications companies have signed an agreement to start pilot testing a commercial broadcast service to mobile devices. The aim of the pilot is to gain experience about real end-user acceptance for mobile broadcasting services. To gain statistically meaningful results of the end-user acceptance, 500 end-users will be recruited for the pilot set to start next fall within Helsinki metropolitan area.

Helsinki, Finland, December 15, 2003 - Leading Finnish broadcast, content and mobile communications companies have signed an agreement to start pilot testing a commercial broadcast service to mobile devices. The aim of the pilot is to gain experience about real end-user acceptance for mobile broadcasting services. To gain statistically meaningful results of the end-user acceptance, 500 end-users will be recruited for the pilot set to start next fall within Helsinki metropolitan area.

 

The pilot will also support ongoing standardisation work and further clarify the regulative and spectrum issues for the planned 4th digital television multiplex in Finland and act as a validation of a functional end-to-end solution for mobile broadcasting services platform. Finland currently has three terrestrial networks (multiplexes) for digital television broadcasting. A fourth digital broadcast network would be reserved for mobile datacasting, i.e. for Internet protocol datacast (IPDC) services based on the emerging DVB-H (handheld) standard. This emerging standard is widely supported by the players in the industry, which promotes the aim to offer consumers cost effective mobile devices and broadcast services.

 

The business set-up for the pilot will see TeliaSonera Finland and Radiolinja providing access for the protected TV-like services to the end-users. MTV, Nelonen and YLE will produce the content available for the pilot users. Digita will operate the IPDC service system and network. In this role it will manage the services and broadcast them on-air. Nokia will provide the IPDC specific equipment such as the terminals, which enable the devices to receive the broadcast signal.

 

"This commercial pilot is a world class example of cooperation between telecommunications and media industry to further research the opportunities of broadcast services to mobile phones," said Timo Teimonen, VP from Nokia Ventures Organization. "The participating companies represent a majority of the media and the telecommunications industry in Finland - it is great news that the main industry players have agreed and are committed to building a test environment for researching the business opportunities around IP Datacasting."

 

Mobile Phone TV is widely seen as a very attractive service for users," commented Liisa Ero, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Finland. "It is great that Finland is proving yet again to be in the forefront of advanced mobile technology and creates an exciting example for the global industry."

 

Contacts:

 

Seppo Nieminen, System Marketing Manager

E-mail: seppo.nieminen@digita.fi

 

Mikko Räisänen

E-mail: mikko.raisanen@mtv3.fi

 

Nelonen
Marcus Wiklund, Chief of Development
E-mail: marcus.wiklund@swelcom.fi

 

Hanna Mikkola, Communications Specialist

E-mail: hanna.mikkola@nokia.com

 

Anssi Okkonen, Director, New Business

E-mail: anssi.okkonen@radiolinja.fi.

 

Pekka Pesari, Development Manager

E-mail: pekka.pesari@teliasonera.com

 

Jorma Laiho, Director

E-mail: jorma.laiho@yle.fi.

 

 

Digita Oy offers its services to media and information technology companies. Our customers reach Finns both at home and on the move with ease, confidence and cost efficiency. Our nationwide multi-skilled organisation guarantees the high quality of our services 24 hours a day. Our customers are able to concentrate on serving their own customers when Digita takes care of the technical implementation and maintenance of the network. Solutions that are developed together with our customers offer new business opportunities in the existing and forthcoming

networks. Digita's customers include, among others, television and radio broadcasting companies, as well as mobile and broadband operators. In  2002, Digita's turnover was 81 million euros. Currently, our company employs

 380 persons. We are part of international TDF group.

 

MTV Oy is a major part of Alma Media Corporation's Broadcasting division, which manages television and radio broadcasting. MTV Oy is responsible for the national MTV3 channel and the Subtv cable and digital TV channel. Broadcasting is also responsible for managing Alma Media's interest in the national commercial radio channel Radio Nova and the Swedish TV4 AB channel, in which Alma Media holds 23.4%. The division is headed by Pekka Karhuvaara.

 

Commercial tv-channel Nelonen (Channel Four Finland) started its operations June 1997. Today Nelonen is third largest advertising medium in Finland. In addition to terrestrial transmitters Nelonen can be received via cable and satellite. The channel's penetration is at the moment 85 % (4,1 million) of the Finnish population. The viewers of Nelonen form the most desired target group for advertisers. Nelonen is actively taking part in the development of digital transmission in Finland and offers enhanced media services both for advertisers and viewers. Nelonen is part of SanomaWSOY's Electronic Media Company, Swelcom.

 

Nokia is the world leader in mobile communications. Backed by its experience, innovation, user-friendliness and secure solutions, the company has become the leading supplier of mobile phones and a leading supplier of mobile, fixed broadband and IP networks. By adding mobility to the Internet, Nokia creates new opportunities for companies and further enriches the daily lives of people. Nokia is a broadly held company with listings on six major exchanges.

 

Founded in 1988, Oy Radiolinja Ab was the first company in the world to open a GSM network, in 1991. Radiolinja is an operator focusing on wireless mobile telecommunications, which offers digital mobile telecommunications services to private and corporate customers. Radiolinja produces and actively develops various mobile services to enable Finns to communicate independently of time and location. The Radiolinja Group includes Oy Radiolinja Ab, and the subsidiaries Radiolinja Suomi Oy, Radiolinja Eesti AS, Radiolinja Origo Oy, Radiolinja Aava Oy, Ecosite Oy and the chain stores Mäkitorppa Oy, Radiolinja Solutions Oy, Kamastore Oy and Radiolinja Piste Oy. The Group's net sales in 2002 totalled EUR 739 million and it had more than 1,700 employees. Radiolinja forms part of the Elisa Corporation.

 

TeliaSonera Finland  Oyj, the Finnish profit centre of TeliaSonera, offers products and services under the Sonera brand. TeliaSonera is the leading telecommunications company in the Nordic and Baltic regions. At the end of September  2003 TeliaSonera had 11,558.000 mobile customers and 8,025,000 fixed customers and 1,555,000 internet customers in its home markets. Outside the home markets TeliaSonera has extensive interests in the growth markets in Russia, Turkey and Eurasia. TeliaSonera is listed on the Stockholm Exchange, the Helsinki Exchanges and the Nasdaq Stock Market in the USA. Pro forma net sales January-September 2003 amounted to SEK 60,7 billion (EUR 6.8 billion). The number of employees was 26,216

 

The Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) is Finland's public service broadcaster with two analogue and five digital television channels and thirteen national radio networks or services including 25 regional programmes. The company plays a major role in producing and presenting drama, sport, culture, entertainment, and educational and children's programmes. YLE is obliged to provide comprehensive broadcasting services for all citizens under equal conditions, and this also includes programme for special and minority groups in the two national languages as well as in the Sami language in the north. YLE is financed by television fees paid by the viewers and operating license fees paid by the commercial companies.