5483

# Korea Times
# October 05, 2004
# By Kim Tae-gyu



Japan has beaten Korea to get the world’s first satellite-based mobile broadcasting system up and running.

Japan’s Mobile Broadcasting Corp. (MBCo) held a news conference Monday and revealed its plan to launch satellite digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) from Oct. 20.

In contrast, Korea’s SK Telecom has faced setbacks in embarking on the satellite DMB through its affiliate TU Media because of the bureaucratic red tapes.

The DMB enables people enjoy seamless video, theater-like audio and data on the go via handheld devices like cell phone or in-car terminals.

For the services, SK Telecom and MBCo jointly blasted off satellite MBSat, also nicknamed ``Hanbyol,’’ in February. SK Telecom holds a 34.66 percent stake in the satellite while MBCo has the remaining 65.34 percent.

Japan fixed MBCo as a lone digital multimedia broadcaster early last year and awarded a preliminary license. The interim go-ahead was converted to an official one two months after liftoff.

On the back of such government support, MBCo plans to start the mobility-specific services with seven video, 30 audio and three data channels this month.

In sharp comparison, the public sector has stalked the fast movement of private sectors in Korea, where DMB-specific phones were already developed this year by Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics.

First, Korea’s National Assembly consumed much time in passing the revised broadcasting law, a must in deploying the DMB here, due to partisan disputes early this year.

After the unicameral parliament dramatically gave a green light to the revision on the last day of the 16th Assembly in March, then the Korean Broadcasting Commission took the baton.

The broadcasting regulator has been unable to issue a business license needed for the satellite DMB in the face of strong protest from some of its member broadcasters, which are wary about their diminished bottom line due to the new-concept broadcasting.

As a result, TU Media, which originally aimed at starting a pilot run of the mobility-specific broadcasting in May and commercial service two months later, postponed its target dates over and over.

Another pending hot-button topic is the retransmission of the terrestrial broadcasting as the nation’s mainstream broadcasters refuse to air their programs through the DMB services.

In the middle of the mess, alternative mobile broadcasting like ground DMB and mobile network-based TV services emerged as strong rivals, posing a genuine threat to commercial viability of the satellite DMB.

Such situation corners TU Media, which now raises the possibility of its pulling out of the satellite DMB business.

``If bureaucratic mess continues to weigh on the future path of the satellite DMB, we cannot help mulling over whether to scrap the DMB business,’’ a TU Media official said.



voc200@koreatimes.co.kr