French mobile TV project “Television Mobile Sans Limite” receives €37.6M in aid

It’s good to know that you can count on the government for help. Lately, European Commission authorized €37.6 million in aid from France’s Agence de l’Innovation Industrielle (Agency for industrial innovation) to finance the mobile TV R&D project “Television Mobile Sans Limite” (Mobile TV without limitations). The project is headed by Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) and employs the company’s DVB-SH mobile video platform, one that hopes to bring a new mobile broadcasting solution that improves the existing standards by expanding broadcast capacity, reception quality and geographic coverage. The solution will also include the crisis management “module” to alert citizens in the event of emergencies.

Alcatel-Lucent is not the only party included in the project. Along with them, 3 public research institutes and 7 companies from across a series of business sectors are also involved in the project. Work began in May last year and is scheduled for rollout in 2009. Altogether, the project will cost €98.4 million.

In the words of Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes, “this research and development project will benefit European consumers by broadening mobile television supply in Europe. I welcome the extensive collaboration between public research bodies and businesses of all sizes. The only regret I have is that, unlike its forerunners financed by the Commission, this collaboration does not extend beyond the frontiers of France”.