Mobile TV broadcast subscribers worldwide will reach 102 million by the end of 2010, a giant leap from 3.4 million in 2006, according to reports by In-Stat.
Recognising that using cellular networks to deliver content that millions want to watch simultaneously requires much greater bandwidth than is currently available, carriers are turning to mobile TV broadcast networks, which have a much lower cost per bit for video delivery, the high-tech market research firm says.
“The greatest challenge for mobile TV broadcast operators is to acquire the spectrum necessary to offer services,” says Michelle Abraham, In-Stat analyst.
“Spectrum availability may determine which of four standards is chosen, and also impacts the business case for the deployment of a network.”
Last year was the year of the first deployments, with ongoing trials in many parts of the world. Mobile carriers, mobile TV network operators, and content providers will soon be testing business models to determine what mobile phone subscribers are willing to pay to watch and what advertisers are willing to pay to reach them.
The World Cup is predicted to aid the growth of mobile TV, sparking the launch of services across Europe, according to a report by Informa Telecoms & Media (see World Cup To Kick Off Growth For Mobile TV).
Last month Vodafone reported an overwhelming take-up for its mobile TV service, launched last year with BskyB (see TV To Go).
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