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Dec 30 2008	Full PDF Version

CMMB & Mobile TV in China: SARFT's Hand Grab

Despite the fact that mobile TV has yet to enjoy major commercial success elsewhere in the world, China has since 2006 been intent on promoting yet another ‘indigenous innovation' candidate for this market named China Mobile Multimedia Broadcasting (CMMB). China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) has promoted this standard to the exclusion of its international rivals including DVB-H, DMB and Qualcomm's MediaFLO. Keen to showcase the technology at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, SARFT deployed CMMB terrestrial networks in 37 cities and launched a mobile TV service for the Games themselves. While SARFT's commitment is clear, the need for more commercial devices and a clear business model loom as hurdles clouding CMMB's future. In this analyst note we set out the current state of CMMB development and analyze three major problems it faces: lack of coordination between SARFT and MIIT, tensions between SARFT and local broadcasters, and the lack of a successful business model.

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