Alcatel and ARCHOS Cooperate on Mobile TV

Alcatel and ARCHOS announced they have entered a strategic cooperation agreement for Mobile TV. Under the agreement, ARCHOS will develop the first portable multimedia player adapted to Alcatel's "Unlimited Mobile TV" solution, a hybrid terrestrial and satellite broadcast solution based on an evolution of the DVB-H standard in the S-Band (2.2 GHz).

The joint solution will adhere to the upcoming standard being prepared in the DVB Forum by the dedicated DVB-SSP (Satellite Services for Portable devices) Workgroup. Alcatel will provide support to ARCHOS in terms of interoperability testing and in terms of access to chipset manufacturers implementing DVB-SSP.

"The group's strategy is focused around various areas of marketing and technology development with the priority of always providing innovative products and meeting the demands of the consumer," said Henri Crohas, founder and CEO of ARCHOS. "The cooperation with Alcatel to bring broadcast mobile TV in the S-Band onto ARCHOS devices is definitely a concrete example of this strategy and it will provide us with significant new business opportunities."

"Alcatel's agreement with ARCHOS enlarges the reach of Alcatel's "Unlimited Mobile TV" solution. We are delighted that ARCHOS joins the "DVB-H in S-Band" ecosystem, thus opening the door to a new portable video players category adapted to mass market mobile TV," stated Olivier Coste, President of Alcatel's mobile broadcast activities. "This cooperation represents a significant milestone in the ramp-up of the "Unlimited Mobile TV" solution, taking full advantage of the availability of the S-Band spectrum at the level of a whole country or a continent, and of our system's ability to reach users wherever they are, including inside buildings."

Commercial availability of ARCHOS S-Band compatible devices is expected in the fourth quarter of 2007.