Qualcomm Chip Supports Multiple Mobile TV Standards

Qualcomm said Thursday that it is dealing with conflicting standards for mobile television by releasing a chip for cell phones that supports three leading standards.

The company said in a statement that its Universal Broadcast Modem (UBM) will support the Digital Video Broadcasting - Handheld (DVB-H), Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting - Terrestrial (ISDB-T) and FLO standards. Qualcomm has championed the FLO specification.

"Mobile TV on handsets is gaining momentum in the wireless industry, even as network operators continue to evaluate the various standards available," Mike Concannon, a Qualcomm vice president said in a statement. "Our UBM solution addresses the industry's need by providing a single universal chip that supports three of the world's leading standards, enabling mobile handsets to receive real-time content regardless of the broadcast technology selected by operators."

Qualcomm said that, while the modem is designed to be used in conjunction with its Mobile Station Modem, which is used for CDMA2000 and WCDMA 3G cellular communications, it also can be used in a variety of other types of mobile devices. The company said it expects to start sampling the UBM chip early next year.