Harris Corporation to Support Australia's First Multi-Channel Mobile TV Trial with DVB-H Transmission Equipment and Service

Harris Corporation to Support Australia's First Multi-Channel Mobile TV Trial with DVB-H Transmission Equipment and Service

Landmark Test Will Demonstrate Convergence of Broadcasting and Telecommunications

CINCINNATI, March 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS) today announced an agreement to supply transmission equipment and technical support to Sydney-based The Bridge Networks for Australia's first trial distribution of multi-channel TV-to-mobile receivers using the DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld) standard.

For the 12-month trial, which will be launched in the middle of this year, Harris is providing technology from its Atlas(TM) DTV660 range of transmitters which offers integrated network adapters for telecom networks and integrated DVB-T receivers for re-transmission applications. These benefits are further enhanced with DVB-H and hierarchical modulation capabilities.

"During the trial period, we would expect the DVB-H transmissions to cover 80 percent of Sydney, or around 3.2 million people," said Darren Kirsop- Frearson, managing director, The Bridge Networks. "Telstra will be the sole telecommunications carrier involved in the trial and will manage the customer relationship and provide some content; Harris Corporation will supply transmission equipment and technical support; and Australian-manufacturer, RFS, will provide Radio Frequency combining products and services for the transmission of the DVB-H signal.

"Up to 1000 Telstra customers will use the DVB-H-capable handsets to measure coverage, particularly within buildings, as well as provide valuable consumer feedback about the level and quality of services being tested. It's a very exciting broadcasting development and evidence of a true convergence of the broadcast and telecommunications industries," continued Mr. Kirsop- Frearson.

DVB-H allows simultaneous transmission of multiple channels of television, radio, video, audio and IP data to a range of multi-media receivers including mobile phones, PDAs, PCs and other handheld devices, and is part of the DVB-T standard currently used to deliver terrestrial television in Australia. DVB-H uses MPEG-4, Windows(R) Media 9, AAC and similar advanced video-and-audio coding and compression technologies to effect a considerable reduction in the bandwidth needed to deliver an acceptable quality of service to small-screen devices.

Harris Broadcast Communications Division is a global leader in the management and distribution of rich media and is a technology leader in emerging standards such as DVB-H for the delivery of video to mobile receivers, having already established itself as a leader in the delivery of terrestrial digital television and audio.

Initially, 15 suppliers will broadcast content from Sydney's Gore Hill transmission site. As many as 15 additional content providers are expected to join in before the completion of the expected 12-month trial.

According to Dave Stephenson, vice president of Harris Broadcast Systems Europe, "We are very pleased to have the opportunity to support The Bridge Networks on this key DVB-H trial with the Atlas family of transmitters, a proven, globally accepted digital video transmission system. It is imperative that transmitters are designed to meet not only the one-to-many requirements of broadcasters, but the one-to-one specifications of the service providers.

"DVB-H is really just an extension of DVB-T, but requires less power for decoding of the received signal which results in reduced battery consumption of the receiver. This makes our already-economic transmission equipment even more cost effective. In effect, you get more broadcasting 'power' in terms of deliverables and more flexibility in the application of DVB-T."

Harris Atlas DTV660 transmitters have continuously adapted to the evolving needs of the market to provide the most versatile and future-ready design available. Their modular design eases servicing and provides an excellent base for expandability as the needs of an operation evolve.

About Harris Broadcast Communications Division

Harris Broadcast Communications Division is one of four divisions within Harris Corporation, an international communications equipment company focused on providing assured communications(TM) services for government and commercial customers in more than 150 countries. One of the world's leading suppliers of broadcast technology, Harris Broadcast Communications Division offers a full range of solutions that support the digital delivery, automation and management of audio, video and data. For more information, visit http://www.broadcast.harris.com/ .

Source: Harris Corporation

CONTACT: Martha Rapp, Harris Corporation, +1-217-221-7577, or
mrapp@harris.com; or Becky Smith, Ellabeck Communications Ltd.,
+011-44-0-1795-521729, or becky@ella-beck.co.uk

Web site: http://www.harris.com/

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