Europe : TV and video services could be the applications that European mobile operators have been looking for to increase the revenue they get from mass-market consumers over their 3G mobile phone networks, according to a new report, TV and Video Services on a Mobile Phone: the killer application for 3G? from Analysys, the global advisers on telecoms, IT and media.

Inset shows Dr Alastair Brydon one of the report authors.

“TVs are found in almost every household and consumers spend far more time watching TV than they currently do using their mobile phone,” says Alastair Brydon, report co-author. “However, the results of consumer studies and the rapid take-up of 3G TV and video services in some countries suggest strong latent demand for consuming this type of content over mobile networks. By focusing strongly on mobile TV and video on demand, South Korean operators have already managed to achieve nearly three times the 3G penetration of Japanese operators, despite the later launch of their services.”

By supporting video streaming and video downloads, 3G finally enables mobile operators to exploit the power of television among the mass market of consumers. The report sets out a compelling case for mobile TV and video and suggests that such services have the potential to be as valuable to mobile operators as messaging is today.

“As mobile operators consider how to encourage the take-up of new 3G handsets and to generate additional revenue beyond that from voice and messaging services, they should look to exploit the power of television in the mass market,” says Alastair Brydon, report co-author. “3G networks give operators a first-mover advantage over emerging mobile broadcasting technologies, such as DVB-H, to address the strong latent demand we believe exists for TV and video services.”

The report, though, does caution that the performance, capacity and costs of 3G technology do place some limitations on how TV and video content can be handled by these networks, especially as this content can consume substantial amounts of data compared to other mobile services. “TV and video can make or break 3G,” says co-author Mark Heath. “The challenge is to offer compelling services that balance affordability for mobile users with profitability for operators.”

The report demonstrates that current pricing of 3G for video services can badly miss the mark in terms of affordability or profitability. “A two-hour movie, transmitted at 384kbit/s, would consume over 300Mbyte of data and operators would have to charge over USD300 if they wanted to achieve similar margins to voice telephony,” warns Heath. “Making long programmes affordable would devastate their revenue per Mbyte and create network congestion.” The report shows how, with short video clips, operators can strike a balance between giving the customers what they want, at a price they can afford, and generating an acceptable revenue per Mbyte for the network operator.

Developments in video coding and the deployment of 3G enhancements such as HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) from the end of 2005 will, in principle, relieve some of the limitations of W-CDMA technology, reducing by a quarter the cost of carrying a given quality of video clips and enabling either improved service margins and/or price decreases to stimulate usage. “However,” says Alastair Brydon. “even with significant enhancements such as HSDPA, wide-area 3G technology will not be able to support extensive viewing of TV and video-on-demand services by a large proportion of mass-market users.”

“Ultimately, broadcasting technology is the best solution for one-to-many distribution of video content,” says Brydon. “Integration of 3G with emerging broadcasting technologies, such as DVB-H or satellite, may be the only solution for widespread use of mobile TV services. Already some operators are actively involved in mobile broadcasting trials. ”

According to the report, the business model for mobile TV and video services will be a complex one. It will potentially involve a mixture of delivery networks, owned by different organisations, requiring revenue-sharing arrangements between network operators, broadcasters, content owners and various intermediaries. “It is vital for mobile operators to seize first-mover advantage and take a proactive role in defining the future value chain,” adds Heath.

TV and Video Services on a Mobile Phone: the killer application for 3G examines the substantial potential of mobile TV and video services, and the role of 3G, HSDPA and emerging broadcasting technologies. The report identifies optimum service and pricing strategies for 3G operators, to address strong latent demand for mobile TV and video services. The report evaluates the key broadcasting technology developments that are taking place, and considers the business model for mobile TV and video services.