Icasa has issued a second invitation to apply for a potentially lucrative digital mobile television broadcasting licence.

This follows its decision last week to grant only one licence, to e.tv, in an initial process that saw Super 5 Media, the Mobile TV Consortium and incumbent pay-TV operator MultiChoice excluded from the process.

The licences are needed to provide digital broadcasting to cellphones and other mobile devices.

Icasa chairman Paris Mashile says the authority has issued a second invitation to apply, with the aim of licensing an additional mobile TV operator in the remaining 60% of the first digital “multiplex”, or chunk of radio frequency spectrum used to broadcast digital TV channels.

The decision to exclude MultiChoice from the first invitation to apply was seen as a setback as it’s regarded as the only broadcaster that has the infrastructure necessary to launch digital mobile TV in time for the 2010 World Cup kick-off on 11 June.

MultiChoice was disqualified from the bidding on the basis that it submitted its application late, a charge that company spokesman Jackie Rakitla denied. However, witnesses to the event claim the MultiChoice application was handed in at least 15 minutes after the deadline on 7 May.

Mashile says all broadcasters are entitled to bid for the remaining spectrum in the first multiplex. This includes companies that were excluded in the first round. Only one licence will be issued for this spectrum.

Icasa is expected to make a second multiplex available to mobile TV bidders in a few months from now. Spectrum in this multiplex is expected to go to new broadcasters rather than the incumbent players. — Duncan McLeod, TechCentral