FREMONT, California and LONDON, October 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The open standardisation of FLO(TM) (Forward Link-Only) technology for the delivery of mobile multimedia gathered pace today with the publication of three new Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) specifications. The TIA's TR-47.1 Subcommittee has officially approved publication of the FLO(TM) Minimum Performance Standards (MPS) for Devices, Minimum Performance Standards (MPS) for Transmitters, and the Test Application Protocol for Devices and Transmitters, with specifications to be published as TIA-1102, 1103 and 1104 respectively.
The new technical specifications are the direct result of work by the FLO Forum, a global association of sixty-eight (68) wireless industry leaders committed to advancing the global standardisation of FLO(TM) technology. The standards were approved by the TIA's TR-47 Engineering Committee, which is responsible for the development and maintenance of Terrestrial Mobile Multimedia Multicast (TM3) standards and TR-47.1 subcommittee, which is focused on FLO technology standardisation.
"Standardisation of FLO(TM) on a global basis enables greater interoperability of products, speeds up time-to-market for new products and reduces the cost of components," says Dr Nabil R. Yousef, Director of Systems Engineering, Newport Media Inc. "The work in publishing these three new standards demonstrates the firm commitment of FLO Forum members such as Newport Media Inc in fostering a thriving ecosystem for FLO(TM) technology."
The publication of the MPS for devices and MPS for transmitters sets the bar for minimum performance of FLO products and services. It outlines the specifications and interoperability of transmitters and devices.
"Approval of Minimum Performance Standards Specifications is another large step forward in completing the portfolio of published standards based on FLO technology," said Jean-Luc Pavy, CEO, TeamCast. "As a manufacturer, TeamCast applauds the commitment of the TIA to promote the open standardisation of technologies for use in Terrestrial Mobile Multimedia Multicast and the FLO Forum is a key player in driving developments for the mobile TV industry."
"The members of the FLO Forum are fully committed to developing an open competitive market for FLO(TM) technology and the publication of these new standards is a vital step in support of that vision," said Dr. Kamil A. Grajski, President of the FLO Forum. "The FLO Forum believes that open standardisation is the key to establishing a global competitive marketplace for vendors and operators to bring FLO-based mobile broadcast multimedia applications to consumers worldwide."
The publication also represents further growth in the portfolio of FLO(TM) specifications that have been published through the TIA. In July the Air Interface Specification for FLO(TM) technology was published as TIA-1099, the first technical specification ratified by the TIA TR47.1 engineering committee.
Notes To Editors The three new standards published by the TIA, today, are as follows:
- Minimum Performance Specification for Terrestrial mobile Multimedia Multicast Forward Link Only Devices. Published as TIA-1102.
- Minimum Performance Specification for Terrestrial Mobile Multimedia Multicast Forward Link Only Transmitters. Published as TIA-1103
- Test Application Protocol for Terrestrial Mobile Multimedia Multicast Forward Link Only Transmitters and Devices. Published as TIA-1104
About FLO Technology
FLO technology is a new air interface with multicasting capabilities designed to increase capacity and reduce content delivery costs to mobile handsets. FLO technology enables mobile users to see and hear high quality video and audio, browse news, sports and weather updates, or watch the stock ticker - wherever they are, anytime, and without delays.
Designed from the ground up specifically to multicast significant volumes of rich multimedia content, FLO enables wireless operators to cost-effectively deliver news, entertainment, and informational programming in clips and streaming video to millions of mobile users at once. FLO provides the technology for distributing multimedia content efficiently and economically without impacting current networks.
About the FLO Forum
FLO is a trademark of QUALCOMM Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
FLO Forum
