The latest catch over mobile phones is mobile TV and is the giant killer application. Mobile TV promises to bring-in a new revolution in the way TV broadcasting is done. Simply-put, the combination of a mobile and a broadcasting network, enabled with end-user interactivity is considered the primary driver for mobile TV.

Declining average revenue per user (ARPU’s), and a voice dominant market is a worrying factor, to most carriers. Now carriers, seek to increase revenues by value added services (VAS) offerings. The big bet, most carriers view is in the form of mobile TV, as it has TV attached to it, beside TV viewing is considered by many has the potential mass appeal effect.

Globally, the mobile TV landscape has begun to move from the hype cycle and currently stands at a point of inflection, with trials and commercial roll-outs, being witnessed. However, there are some roadblocks to its wide-scale adoption success.

Standardisation

With evolving standards, the mobile TV industry, largely faces the big fight about having uniform standards, being adopted across geographical boundaries. Varied standards are seen manifested. In regions like Europe and Asia, the most favoured standard emerging is digital video broadcast hand-held technology (DVB-H). In Asian countries like Japan, China and Korea, work is being done on their own standards for mobile TV.

In North America, MediaFlo, a proprietary standard, developed by Qualcomm, is seeing some carriers favouring it; few commercial roll-outs are already on. Besides, MediaFlo, there is the co-existence of the DVB-H standard, in that region. Until recently, digital video broadcasting for satellite and handhelds (DVB-SH) has made its way. DVB-SH seeks to renders both satellite and wireless connectivity to mobile TV transmission.

Transmission models

Primarily, two main mobile TV delivery mechanisms is observed, one is the live streaming and the other being, interactive, video on demand (VoD). Live streaming brings live pictures to the mobile phone, as and when the event is being carried out. 

VoD promise to bring in what is called as video on demand, whereby, content is streamed to the mobile phone, at the request of the end user. Yet another form of mobile TV delivery, is presumptive downloading, where content is pre-downloaded to the phone.

Backend technology

Transmitting of mobile TV occurs in three primary modes of transport namely namely, broadcasting, Internet and cellular networks. 

Besides the technology standards formats, the key form factor that needs consideration is backend technology, that supports mobile TV. The most favoured technology vehicles that facilitate the carriers of mobile TV, are likely to be Wimax, 3G, multimedia broadcast and multimedia services.

Roaring success for mobile TV uptake, belongs to the end user. Demands for mobile TV service offerings, needs customisation based on customer preferences. Options like video-on demand (VoD), pay-per-view services, bundling of services would be the ideal offerings, an end user can pick and choose from.

The mobile TV ecosystem brings with it more players. To begin from the carriers, handset takers, chip makers, content providers and the TV broadcasters, making the eco-system complete. The success rate for the eco system rests on suitable revenue sharing arrangement models.

The challenges faced in the mobile TV space, are issues concerning adoption of standards. The next key challenge is suitable spectrum allocation for it. The type of tariff structuring models also need to be thought out effectively.

In India, mobile TV has taken shape with few carriers performing trials and few roll-outs, taking place. Mobile TV in India can be viewed as a bullish proposition, given that TV viewing is the mass potential winner.

The success spell for mobile TV will be the end users. Effective handset pricing through reduction in price-points of handsets, attractive bundled offerings, pay per view models, are some of the directives that would see more end users to sign up to mobile TV services. Establishing mobile TV standards across regions may be a suggestive step or setting up of a consortium body more like a certifying association on mobile TV standards, may bring more clarity and put off the prevailing confusion in the market place.