Radiation concerns threaten Swiss DVB-H

摘要

Opposition from environmentalists is threatening to hold up the plans of Swisscom to launch a DVB-H mobile television service in time for next summer's European football championship. IG Gigaherz, a group that campaigns against "electronic smog", said that it would oppose the construction of new transmission masts because of the high levels of radiation associated with DVB-H broadcasts. It claimed that these were 10 times the levels of digital-terrestrial television transmissions. Earlier this year the lobby group forced Swisscom, the former incumbent telephone company, to stop prematurely its trial of WiMax wireless technology. The group is prepared to take its case up to the Federal Supreme Court in Lausanne - a process which group leader Hans-Ueli Jakob told New Media Markets would take at least 18 months, during which Swisscom could not transmit DVB-H broadcasts. Swisscom said that it remained "very optimistic" that its DVB-H network would be rolled out in time. "We've always expected to face opposition from certain quarters, and this is reflected in our timetable," die company said. Under its licence, awarded in September, Swisscom is required to roll out its DVB-H network to cover 44 per cent of the Swiss population by May 2008 - one month before the country jointly hosts the European football championship with Austria - and 60 per cent by the end of 2012. If it missed its deadlines, it would have to ask communications regulator ComCom to amend the licence. ComCom would not comment on the proceedings between Swisscom and IG Gigaherz, but said that where a third party -rather than the licence holder - could be proved to be responsible for delays, it had in the past granted deadline extensions under force majeure provisions.