Convergence of Mobile Communications and Broadcasting: A long term perspective

Terrestrial unidirectional broadcasting is currently being substituted by wired bidirectional IP-based services. In practical day-to-day use, user mobility for the ‘last mile’ is supported by wireless local area networks with massively growing data rates. Terrestrial bidirectional mobile communications, on the other hand, is currently moving into its fourth technological generation. With the new UMTS Long Term Evolution (LTE) standards, data rates required for television broadcasts can be achieved with mobile bidirectional IP-based services. To increase technological and economic efficiency, unidirectional terrestrial broadcasting will, in the long run, have to make room for bidirectional mobile communications. This has consequences for policy makers and technologist alike, as public broadcasting has to be integrated into these networks and hence the regulatory framework needs to be adjusted accordingly. From a technological viewpoint, a bidirectional network technology is needed which allows for efficient incorporation of broadcasting. From a regulatory point of view, policy makers need to revise regulatory thinking towards frequency allocation principles, too. A unified network approach can be more efficient, both technologically and economically. Technological aspects include higher spatial reuse factor of frequencies, lower infrastructure costs in sparsely populated rural areas due to lower frequencies and much higher supportable data rates: the current amount allocated to mobile communications in the VHF ranges would be more than doubled. Also, such a centralized approach will make it easier to integrate dynamic spectrum access methods currently under research. Economic efficiency is increased on the one hand by the possibility of eliminating redundant broadcasting infrastructure and by increasing social welfare from higher capacities available. Regulatory issues to be solved mainly concern the relationship between public broadcasting and private mobile communications corporations. As opposed to the situation of state monopolies in