Mobile television developers Tuesday called on the British government to unlock spectrum bands that are optimal for the fledgling technology.

Speaking at a news conference, executives at O2 and other companies said that O2's recent trials in Oxford showed a healthy acceptance of mobile TV by consumers and that the industry needed a united voice so the new technology would be accommodated by government regulators.

According to Silicon.com, O2 Vice President Mike Short said: "We need the right spectrum. We want to explore much more UK collaborative activity."

Mobile television is currently based on the DVB-H (digital video broadcasting) technical standard, which is gaining acceptance in Europe because it is cheaper and doesn't require the bandwidth that television streaming needs.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International