Bezeq and Runcom today announced they have signed a cooperation agreement to test and field trial implementation of the emerging DVB-RCT standard. Start-up Runcom was founded in 1997.
The companies said that the cooperation agreement will enable the parties to be first in the Israeli market to implement and test a system solution, based on Runcom’s orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) technology.
The system will enable broadcasters and satellite operators such as the Israel Broadcast Authority (IBA) and Yes to deliver fixed and mobile Interactive services over a digital terrestrial platform in the attractive VHF and UHF frequency band. The RCT platform will enable services such as: video on demand (VOD), TV voting, TV browsing, video conferencing, interactive games and T-commerce.
One of the first results of this agreement is a joint field trial in Israel scheduled for the first half of 2004.
Bezeq noted that its R&D Lab operates pilot digital radio and TV broadcasts in Israel. The digital radio broadcast (DAB) covers most of the country’s territory through five stations. The digital TV broadcast (DVB-T) covers a test area by two stations. Bezeq said that these field trials allow it and the content providers to learn digital broadcast technology. In this way, after licensing of digital providers is completed, Bezeq said it will be "positioned to serve as the subcontractor of the digital broadcast operators in Israel".
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on Wednesday, January 21, 2004