The Mobile Multimedia Broadcasting (MMB) team of the Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC) showcased its new broadcasting handset prototype called openmokast in Amsterdam at the IBC 2008 exhibition.  The prototype, based on the openmoko FreeRunner manufactured by FIC Inc., is the first open handset to integrate the reception of live digital radio, video and data services with typical smart phone functions such as mobile telephony, wireless internet and GPS positioning.

A complete software stack was developed and integrated at CRC to control an attached receiver and decode various services such as DAB, DAB+, DMB, Slideshow, Visual Radio and Journaline. A physical extension was also built to seamlessly integrate a USB-based receiver and its antenna at
the back of the FreeRunner.

Three key factors made this breakthrough possible: the extreme level of openness provided by the openmoko platform, the many open source software building blocks available from its growing community of developers and broadcast standards that are accessible and open.

The most important and disruptive feature of the openmokast prototype is that it allows any interested developer to access raw bit streams directly from the broadcast chip set to create innovative software applications that are limited only by his/her imagination. This is not possible with current broadcast-enabled handsets based on various standards such DAB/DMB, DVB-H or MediaFLO because their application sets are pre-determined by manufacturers or mobile operators, and can be modified only by them or authorized developers.

Other open platforms were also considered for this project but none appeared to be as advanced and open as the openmoko framework. It is also interesting to note that none of the major open platforms, including openmoko, have indicated plans to support digital broadcasting hardware in the near future.

CRC's mission includes helping to identify and close the innovation gaps in Canada's communications sector by engaging in industry partnerships and building technical intelligence. With this project, the CRC team hopes to catalyze broadcast application innovation for mobile handsets through a more open ecosystem, accessible tools and lower barriers to entry. In an effort to leverage global expertise, CRC invites players from the whole mobility value chain, more specifically broadcasters, application developers, users, device integrators and chip set makers,
to collaborate on this initiative and embrace new opportunities emerging from open source business models.

For more information about this project, please visit the following websites:

MMB Projects: www.openmokast.org, www.crc.gc.ca/mmb , mmbtools.crc.ca
CRC Corporate: www.crc.gc.ca

Contact person:
Francois Lefebvre,
Project Leader
francois.lefebvre@crc.gc.ca