DiBcom observes strong increase in sales of components destined for GPS systems with integrated digital television.

The company has witnessed a marked increase in sales of components for these devices. In addition to new purchases, many users are replacing their old equipment with more elaborate devices.

Because drivers generally use their vehicle for familiar journeys, the navigation function of a GPS device in only used for approximately 6% of all trips. New Sat Nav devices must therefore offer additional functions to become more than just simple navigation devices and enable users to appreciate their utility during the remaining 94% of the time. Sat Navs have now become veritable mobile multimedia devices which combine satellite navigation, digital television and other multimedia options. Users therefore benefit from a sophisticated and practical entertainment device. As well as helping drivers to find their way, the device serves as a portable television during traffic jams or to distract children during long journeys.

DiBcom’s new DiB9090 chipset is built into the new Free-to-air televsion-enabled GPS receivers. Given the high volume of sales of these devices during 2008 and 2009, Yannick Levy, CEO of DiBcom is confident about their future : “The penetration rate for digital television and other multimedia functions built into GPS devices could reach 20% in Europe by 2011. Korea was the first country to witness an almost 100% penetration rate for Mobile television integrated GPS devices. In Europe today the rate is lower, partly due to the difficulty experienced in receiving Free-to-air signals. We may however, soon witness a similar trend as Free-to-air digital television is indeed ‘free’ and our technology offers solutions for reception difficulties”, he concluded.

In the future, the integration of our new DIB29098 diversity chipset will make it possible to add digital radio and DVB-SH without almost any additional costs, which will gradually replace Free-to-air coverage. According to Yannick Lévy, “Sat Nav devices could well be the most important sales vector in terms of Digital radio, representing a volume of almost one third of all devices capable of receiving radio.”