Alternatives of interactivity in a digital terrestrial TV platform: a techno-economic approach

Return channel interactivity is a digital TV feature that leads to a bidirectional information flow. This article presents an analysis of four technological alternatives for the digital terrestrial TV platform return channel subsystem, to be deployed in Brazil. Major aspects taken into account for choosing the most suitable alternative are highlighted, such as the performance and cost factors, in light of the country's regional social and economic differences, the conditions under which the broadcast and telecommunication services are rendered, and the coverage as well as the availability of the main networks that support such services. Deployment cost estimates related to the selected alternative - WiMAX - are also presented by considering the coverage arrangements that best satisfy Brazil's singularities, the TV signals coverage and the demographic conditions of each Brazilian municipality.