Presentation to the

Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage

on

New Broadcasting Technologies

by

Veena Rawat, President

Bernard Caron, Vice-President, Broadcast Technology Branch

Communications Research Centre Canada

Industry Canada

May 10, 2007

Introduction (Veena Rawat)

Mr. Chair, thank you and good morning. My name is Veena Rawat and I am the President of the Communication Research Centre Canada (CRC). With me today is Bernard Caron, Vice-President of the Broadcast Technology Branch at CRC.

The Communications Research Centre is an agency of Industry Canada. We conduct research and development in the areas of wireless, satellite and networks technologies as well as broadcasting. In fact, the CRC has the only laboratories dedicated to the evaluation of advanced digital broadcasting technologies in Canada.

As the Government of Canada's main research laboratory in telecommunications technologies, we provide technical advice to departments and other federal organizations on the impact of technologies on their mandate. Our research in Broadcasting covers such areas as Multimedia Broadcasting, Interactive Television, Digital Radio, Satellite transmission as well as Internet TV, IPTV and 3D TV. It will be our pleasure to answer questions relating to any of these technologies, however, I will first open the floor to Bernard who will present on some items related to over-the-air broadcasting. Bernard.

Review of New Broadcasting Technologies (Bernard Caron)

Thank you Veena, and thank you Mr. Chair for this opportunity to speak to you today. I would like to begin by talking about various technological developments that may impact on the way broadcasters operate in the future, particularly in the case of over-the-air transmissions. First, I would like to address High Definition Television (HDTV) and Digital TV (DTV), Mobile TV, Digital radio and finally, Emergency Broadcasting and distributed transmitter networks for regional coverage.

HDTV and DTV

An important development currently taking place in broadcasting is the introduction of HDTV. Most television sets sold today can display High Definition TV. We now have the capability to access hundreds of TV channels as well as some HDTV programs from satellite or cable, thanks to the efficiency of digital transmission systems. But in order to deliver HDTV over-the-air to the home, we must replace the old analog transmitters with digital ones.

New digital over-the-air transmitters are now in operation in Toronto, Montréal, Ottawa, Québec and Vancouver. These transmitters can provide Canadians with crystal clear HDTV programs free of charge. To view these programs, all you need is a HDTV set with a digital tuner and an antenna...and a transmitter in your area. So far, there are only about 15 HDTV transmitters in Canada. By comparison, there are close to 1,500 transmitters across the United States.

These digital transmitters are also providing broadcasters with a great opportunity to present new services to their viewers. I will describe a few of them.

Digital TV Multiplex: More for the Price of One

New over-the-air digital TV stations can be used to transmit a single HDTV program to viewers, but it is also possible to use the same station to transmit multiple programs. The picture quality will not be High Definition, but comparable to the quality of a DVD. In addition, it will be possible to select among many programs from one station. For example, a single CBC station could offer its viewers the option to watch CBC's regular program, CBC Newsworld, Radio Canada's regular programs such as Radio Canada's Réseau de l'information (RDI) or ArtTV. The total number of program options that can be offered is in the order of four to six.

Digital TV also enables broadcasters to offer more than one soundtrack. Just as you can select a language option of English, French or Spanish on a DVD, similarly a broadcaster could offer its viewers a choice among different languages.

As you can see, the flexibility of digital TV can be used to provide a range of options, such as multiple programs and a choice of languages from the same TV transmitter.

Mobile TV

Over-the-air Digital TV also offers the potential for mobile transmission capabilities, in environments such as cars, buses or trains. This is being done today, using cellular telephone networks as well as some new broadcasting technologies developed in Europe and Asia.

In North America, we are evaluating proposed improvements to the Digital TV transmission standard that is currently used to transmit HDTV. By implementing the proposed improvements, one HDTV program could be received on large TV sets at home while a second program could be watched on a small, handheld receiver or on small screens installed in cars, buses or trains. The second program could be the same as the HDTV program, but at a lower picture resolution, or it could be a different program with content of interest to people on the move. Technically, Mobile TV could be offered to users free of charge or by subscription, in competition or in collaboration with cellular telephone operators.

Digital Radio: TV on your Radio?

So far, I've talked to you about changes in the world of TV broadcasting, but we should not forget that a similar revolution is facing radio as well. Digital radio is now available in Canada from two subscription-based satellite radio services. Canadians can also listen to radio stations from anywhere around the world using the Internet. Personal players like the iPod now enable us to download all kind of radio programs.

The traditional, terrestrial AM and FM radio networks are also going through a digital revolution. Technologies are now available to transmit over-the-air digital radio.

Just as in the case of DTV, this technology can be used to transmit more than one radio program from one station. Digital systems can also be used to offer new features, such as maps depicting directions to an event being advertised or pictures of an artist, for example.

Digital radio technology can also be used to offer low-resolution TV programs to mobile or handheld receivers.

Emergency Broadcasting

Since the beginning of its development, the broadcasting networks have been a great source of information and entertainment, but they also serve as a critical link in case of emergency. Many of us will recall listening to radio or TV during the Ice Storm in 1998. Radio was the main source of information during the last great electricity blackout, which touched most of Ontario in the summer of 2003.

This emergency capability should be maintained, even when all the broadcast networks in Canada have become digital. It is very nice to watch HDTV or to get maps on your car radio, but in case of emergency you may just want to listen to your battery operated radio to get vital information.

The digital technologies being deployed now also provide an opportunity to improve the capabilities of the broadcast networks to provide many kinds of essential information in case of emergency.

Distributed Transmitters Network: Broadcasting for Everyone

Digital technologies can also be more efficient in covering large regions, by using a number of distributed, low-power transmitters which coverage is limited to the area where there is a population. This network will be more affordable to build and operate than the centrally-located, high power stations currently used by the analog broadcasting systems.

Conclusion (Veena Rawat)

We believe that the new broadcasting technologies discussed today; Digital Television, Mobile TV, Digital Radio, emergency broadcasting and distributed transmitters network for regional coverage, have the potential to provide Canadians with an increased number of services and higher quality services. While digital broadcasting systems are being implemented all around the world, not a single country, from little Singapore to giant Russia, have decided that terrestrial broadcasting can be completely abandoned and replaced by satellite or the Internet.

For many years, the CRC has been collaborating with the broadcasting industry, and the CBC in particular, to develop and evaluate various technologies. Canadian broadcasters can use these technologies to address some of the following challenges:

-Telecommunications technologies are changing rapidly

-The quality of the pictures and sound available is increasing

-The number of available programs is multiplying

-New delivery mechanisms are appearing every day

-Viewers are becoming used to interactivity

-Consumers can now decide where, when and what they want to see or hear; not the broadcasters.

CRC will continue to look into the future and to work on new wonders like 3-D TV, Super-High Definition and Immersive TV! So stay tuned!

We thank you for your attention and are available to answer any questions you may have, now or later.