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Air Interface Implementation Guidelines

The most important interface in Nokia's mobile broadcast architecture is the air interface between the terminals and the networks. The air interface defines how terminals can access the broadcast services. It includes the broadcast interface and the cellular radio interface for interactive services as well as the application protocols on top of the transmission channels.

The implementation of the Nokia mobile broadcast air interface is based on the mainstream standards for mobile broadcast: OMA BCAST and DVB IPDC.

Standards often leave many alternative options for implementation, which is why the implementation guidelines are important for reaching interoperability. The guidelines define the protocol profiles, which provide the exact implementation details.

Nokia continuously publishes implementation guidelines for the mobile broadcast air interface. The guidelines define exactly how Nokia Broadcast Solution have been implemented. Other manufacturers can use the guidelines to produce interoperable products.

Targets for the Air Interface Implementation Guidelines

Global Market

The air interface implementation guidelines target a non-fragmented global market for mobile broadcast terminals. Traditionally in broadcast services, the broadcast terminal market has varied from country to country and from operator to operator. With relatively simple and fixed terminals such as televisions and set-top boxes, market fragmentation has not been detrimental. With mobile terminals, however, terminal fragmentation could be harmful.

As the name implies, these terminals are mobile, which is why roaming should be possible. It is not in the interests of consumers to have a separate terminal for each country. In other words, mobile broadcast should be a global service. The published implementation guidelines work towards this goal.

Interoperability

A means to a global market is interoperability with other manufacturers' terminals and network-side solutions. Nokia can offer test streams and systems for trial to terminal vendors who want to develop interoperable products.

The implementation of the air interface is not a fixed specification. Its evolution will be influenced by commonly agreed standards and feature roadmaps.

Backward Compatibility

The evolution of the air interface will be backwards compatible. The terminals that work with a given air interface version will work with a newer air interface implementation as well. In general, the functionality of the old terminals will not increase with a new air interface implementation, but the original functionality will remain available. Backwards compatibility in protocol-change scenarios is maintained with over-the-air update of terminal firmware.

Mobile Broadcast Standardization Status in December 2007

Status

Currently there are two standardization efforts for mobile broadcast on DVB-H:

• The Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) organization published its IPDC standards in December 2005.
• The Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) is currently finalizing its OMA BCAST 1.0 standardization work.

The IPDC standard reflects the traditional broadcast business needs and models, while the BCAST standard focuses on convergence with other cellular technologies and specifies the service layers not only for DVB-H but for other cellular bearers, such as MBMS over 3G network, as well.

Most of the specifications are the same in both standards. The DVB-H radio interface is a solid standard, and the Internet network and session protocols are used as they are. Also, the video and audio streaming standards are the same, as are the traffic encryption algorithms.

The differences between the standards lie in service purchase and the Electronic Service Guide. The attitudes towards interactivity are also different.

Nokia Technology Choices

Electronic Service Guide

Nokia supports the standards-based ESG profiles OMA BCAST and DVB IPDC. The so called Prestandard OMA BCAST ESG is also supported in Nokia platforms to guarantee backwards compatibility. Supporting all of these ESGs guarantees maximum interoperability.

The ESG standard itself does not guarantee interoperability. This is because the specification allows several optional implementations, and because different markets and vendors are selecting different subsets of the options. Interoperability testing is thus needed to guarantee that different companies have understood the specifications the same way. The OMA BCAST Service Guide in the Nokia Mobile Broadcast Solution has been tested in several OMA Test Fests. Also, Nokia has implemented an IPDC ESG protocol that matches the profile that has been used in several exhibitions and interoperability demonstrations during 2006. The Prestandard OMA BCAST ESG is an early version of the OMA BCAST Service Guide, which was specified before the BCAST standardization work was finished.

The main differences between OMA BCAST and DVB IPDC are:

• A single OMA BCAST Service Guide transport supports the marketing messages of several service operators. In the IPDC alternative, a separate ESG is needed for each operator.
• The OMA BCAST Service Guide supports dynamic interactivity changes.
• OMA BCAST allows the OMA BCAST Smartcard security method to be used in addition to the OMA BCAST DRM profile.
• OSF-based proprietary conditional access systems are not standardized in OMA BCAST.

Service Protection and Purchase

Nokia's current service purchase and protection architecture is based on the OMA BCAST DRM/18Crypt profiles and the OMA BCAST Smartcard profile. These service purchase and protection methods are based on open standards.

OMA DRM can be applied for many purposes: pay-TV, content protection, ID card, credit card, and so forth. OMA DRM will be implemented in several future Nokia multimedia computers.

The Smartcard profile uses universal SIM cards and is based on GBA/GAA architecture. The Smartcard profile is defined in the OMA BCAST Service and Content Protection Specification and it too is based on open standards.

The IPDC standard has specified Conditional Access as an alternative for service payment. Currently Nokia does not support Conditional Access in its terminals.

Interactivity

The Mobile Broadcast Solution's interactivity is based on features that are present in the BCAST standards. Currently there is no support for interactivity in the DVB IPDC ESG.

Air Interface Implementation Guidelines

Future Versions

Nokia will publish new versions of the implementation guidelines in order to maintain standards compliance in the future as new features are specified within the mobile broadcast architecture.

New interface versions will be fully backward compatible with the devices delivered to the market, so older devices that do not support a particular new functionality can be maintained.

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