The mobile phone industry has some way to go in learning to deal with the problems of mobile TV transmission working alongside GSM signals, according to broadband RF specialist firm Microtune.

“The cellphone industry is going through a learning curve,” said Phil Spruce, handheld marketing manager at Texas-based Microtune. “One of the biggest challenges is the huge amount of interference with broadcast. Everything contributes to weaken or destroy the channel being watched and the GSM power amp is the biggest problem.”

Spruce said when the GSM amplifier turns on it destroys the performance of the broadband receiver which makes it “highly likely” to lose the picture.

This issue is not addressed in the (Mobile and Portable DVB-T/H. Radio Access Interface Specification) MBRAI specification, said Spruce.

Microtune claims its ClearTune technology, which has already been designed into LG handsets, can overcome this problem. The technology was originally developed for cable TV and Spruce said adjustments for the mobile handset market were to reduce power.

The firm will be holding a ‘ClearTune challenge’ at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona to test whether anyone can cause a ClearTune-enabled handset to lose its mobile TV picture.