Newsletter
Google Left Banner
AT&T Launching MobileTV
28 Mar, 2008
AT&T announced they will be launching MobileTV in May 2008 on Qualcomm’s MediaFLO platform. The new video service will launch on two handsets initially, the LG Vu and the Samsung Access. Content will come from CBS Mobile, Comedy Central, ESPN Mobile TV, FOX Mobile, MTV, NBC 2GO, NBC News2Go and Nickelodeon. AT&T also says they will soon launch two exclusive AT&T MobileTV channels.
digg this story
googleMobileTV Gaining Momentum
26 Sep, 2007
The U.S. is the unofficial king of couch potato syndrome. Fitness enthusiasts swear that syndrome contributes to the obesity problem in the U.S. Despite numerous strategies, we as a nation can’t seem to get off the couch and stop watching TV. That is until now. Maybe the answer to curbing the couch potato syndrome is to leave the TV part in the equation. Hence MobileTV. According to an RCR Wireless News article, mobileTV is firmly off the ground and coming to a handheld near you soon. So, you will soon be able to get off the couch, but keep the TV. One of the more interesting scenarios around MobileTV is its competitive implications
The RCR article featured a comparison between Hiwire and MediaFLO, the two most established mobileTV options in the U.S. Hiwire is owned by Aloha Partners, the largest owner of 700 Mhz spectrum in the U.S (at least for now) and uses the DVB-H standard. MediaFLO was developed by Qualcomm and has been established as a Qualcomm business unit. There is a natural competitive rivalry between these two providers, but the implications go beyond just the two of them. What remains to be seen is how mobileTV will be positioned in the marketplace. Will it simply be a feature offered by all major wireless carriers, or will stand alone mobileTV companies emerge that offer a compelling entertainment on the go service alone. Taking it a step further, will mobileTV mature to a legitimate competitor to home cable/IPTV/DBS service? Will smartphones or mobile media players some day also function as a STB for my home television? Some day in the not too distant future, mobileTV services may contribute to ditching "landline" television service, in much the same way that mobile wireless is eroding landline telephone service today. It's difficult to see a day when mobileTV will be robust enough to rival today's landline subscription television service. But maybe it doesn't have too. Maybe a significant number of consumers will get "just enough" from mobileTV to cut the television cord. No one knows the answers to these questions. There are a lot of smart people who will predict many things. But as always, the future is decided by paying consumers. It will be fun to watch. And in this case, thanks to mobileTV, we can watch it wherever we happen to be.
Verizon Wireless to Offer Full Length College Football Games
30 Aug, 2007
Verizon Wireless announced the launch of live, full length college football games on wireless handsets, coming this fall. Verizon Wireless and MediaFLO, a QUALCOMM subsidiary will partner to offer over 100 games on on CBS Mobile, ESPN Mobile TV, FOX Mobile and NBC 2Go on V CAST Mobile TV channels. Verizon Wireless has aired other live sporting events including live sporting events, from U.S. Open golf and MLS soccer to the X Games, NASCAR racing and tennis from Wimbledon.
Will MobileTV Work in the U.S.?
02 Mar, 2007The dawn of mobileTV is upon us with Verizon Wireless launching their new vCast service, and AT&T not too far behind. Unlike past mobile wireless video offerings which offered video clips, these new services allow viewing of broadcast TV from the likes of CBS, Comedy Central, Fox, MTV, NBC News and others. Carriers and the vendors providing the infrastructure are making a high risk bet that consumers will want to watch television on a cell phone. Qualcomm has committed $800 million towards MediaFLO, the platform being used by both Verizon and AT&T, alone. But that is surely a down payment on a multi billion dollar investment.
Some are even predicting that mobileTV can put a dent in the traditional home subscription pay TV (cable TV, IPTV, DBS, etc.) model - why pay for cable TV, when I can get it on my cell phone and beam it to my TV. It is certainly too early to tell, but we are now witnessing yet another potential disruptive force provided by wireless.
Read this revealing Business Week article for more details ...
About Telecompetitor
Telecompetitor is a leading industry blog covering the telecom competitive landscape. We provide insight, analysis, and commentary on the issues and implications of the evolving telecom competitive landscape.
a publication of
Channel
Webinars/Events
Upcoming Events
NTCA Annual Meeting
Feb 8-11, 2009 - Long Beach, CA
Featured Article
Should Telephone Service be Free?
12 Oct, 2008
Comcast announced a new promotion last week that offers 12 months of free basic cable service for new customers who also sign up for an additional service. Customers who don’t want an additional service can get Comcast’s basic service of about 20 -30 channels for $10/month. The promotion is tied to the digital TV transition of February 2009 and entices potential customers to avoid the transition “hassle” by getting “free” cable service. “The simple fact is that basic cable is the easiest path through the digital transition and now consumers can get it for free,” said Derek Harrar, General Manager and Senior Vice President, Video Services for Comcast in a company statement. This move is similar to strategies pursued by other video service providers, who are hoping to leverage the digital TV transition for new subscriber additions.
But is this strategy a leading indicator for the future? Should basic core services like basic cable and basic telephone service be offered for free, used as a “carrot” to entice customers to buy “more important” services like broadband? Maybe a very basic phone service, with no LD, access to landline 911, and maybe outgoing service only (to avoid telemarketers) should be a free component of a bundled offering. Such a wireline service may appeal to a customer who previously cut the cord for wireless only, but also needs broadband. There is a growing portion of the population who find the value of traditional wireline phone service elsewhere – either through wireless or broadband/IP services. But, if they could get the security of landline 911, and an extra dial tone in their home as a free value add for subscribing to broadband (or video from a telco’s perspective), maybe a telco’s bundled offering may look more attractive than a comparable cable offering. I realize this idea is not appealing to the hundreds of ILECs who are a part of the current access/settlement system (in fact, it couldn’t work in the context of today’s regulatory structure), but I wonder whether it’s inevitable. In this possible future scenario, the current settlement system adapts to broadband as the underlying service, as opposed to voice.
This scenario cuts both ways. From a cable company’s perspective, a growing portion of the population is turning to the Internet as a source for their video content, and no longer see value in paying for a broad package of video as a part of a traditional subscription pay-TV service. But, if they could receive basic TV (which includes local broadcast affiliates) as a free value add for buying broadband, maybe the cable bundle is more attractive. In a true IP/broadband world, very basic phone and video service is relatively easy to deliver, and has little impact on bandwidth and network performance. Maybe the digital transition is opening the door to a future where free basic services are a regular component of a bundled offering. Thoughts?