Mobile TV Unlocks 3G Wireless Data Revenue Stream

US : Mobile TV is set to become a breakthrough mass-market mobile data service, judging by feedback from pioneering services offered by major global operators such as Orange, Vodafone, and SK Telecom, finds a new report from the subscription research service Unstrung Insider.

The report, entitled Mobile TV: Switching on the Revenue Stream, identifies the introduction of mobile TV over 3G and satellite broadcast networks as a burgeoning success story, with monthly usage already at more than 1 million sessions per month at some operators.

"There's a lot of mileage in unicast mobile TV as a lure to attract high- value 3G subscriptions," says report author and Unstrung Insider Chief Analyst Gabriel Brown ( inset above ). "The power is its simplicity: Everyone already knows how to watch TV."

The report also covers the upcoming introduction of dedicated mobile broadcast networks based on DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld), DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcast), and MediaFLO technologies, which make more efficient use of radio resources for mass-market, one-to-many media services.

Among the report's key findings:

* Sub-$10/month services will be essential to drive uptake of mobile TV, but from there operators can increase data revenues from the technology-indifferent user base.

* Multicast over 3G has many theoretical attractions for "clip-cast" services, but it will take several years to gain significant momentum. Look for enhanced multicast mechanisms in upcoming 3GPP and 3GPP2 specifications.

* Most operators currently take a technology-neutral stance with respect to mobile broadcast technology -- even those that have tested DVB-H say they are not yet committed to that roadmap.

* DVB-H has the momentum as today's leading contender for dedicated mobile broadcast networks -- especially in Europe. But issues surrounding spectrum allocation in many developed regions looks set to slow down the commercialization of services.

* If Qualcomm's MediaFLO technology delivers what it claims, on the timeline it claims, it could upset DVB-H as the automatic mobile broadcast technology choice. Delays to mobile broadcast spectrum
allocation work to Qualcomm's advantage.

Mobile TV: Switching on the Revenue Stream, a 23-page report in PDF format, is available as part of an annual subscription (12 monthly issues) to Unstrung Insider, priced at $1,350. Individual reports are available for $900. To subscribe, please visit: http://www.unstrung.com/insider.