Wireless Blog posts on Mobile TV and Video.
Wireless Blog posts on Mobile TV and Video.
The BBC’s iPlayer has driven substantial traffic growth in fixed Internet networks in the UK. However, its impact has been artificially constrained on mobile networks by the restriction that iPlayer could only be viewed on mobile devices via a WiFi connection. This week, an update to the BBC’s iPlayer application on Apple iPhones and iPads… Read more
The service mix on mobile devices will see a radical change in the next few years. The overall mix of wireless network traffic will change significantly between 2009 and 2014, with traffic-intensive data services dominating the mix. Video streaming and downloads will contribute the largest proportions of total data usage in developed markets, at 48.1% in… Read more
Mobile data pricing for traffic-intensive services is becoming more affordable for consumers, with a proliferation of flat-rate tariffs for smartphones and flat-rate mobile broadband bundles, with generous monthly usage allocations (for example, 5GB or more). Flat-rate pricing for smartphones is becoming increasingly prevalent, to give mobile users the freedom to access a broadening range of… Read more
The greater sophistication of smartphones compared with basic mobile phones (for example, in terms of display, processing power and storage) is better suited to usage-intensive data services (such as video), thereby generating higher 3G traffic volumes. As shown in the figure below, the number of smartphones has been increasing significantly year-on-year, and this growth is… Read more
Not all services and content consumed via 3G devices have to be delivered by 3G macrocell networks. There are a number of complementary delivery methods for the delivery of some, or all, services and content, particularly for users with access to a fixed broadband service. Dedicated mobile broadcasting technologies, such as DVB-H, DMB and MediaFLO,… Read more
3G operators must be able to support huge increases in mobile data traffic over the next few years, according to a new report from Unwired Insight. The report, entitled ‘Will 3G Networks Cope?’, shows that 3G traffic volumes will rise to unprecedented levels, and some 3G operators will not be able to cope. Behind the… Read more
A new report from Unwired Insight, entitled ‘Will 3G Networks Cope?’, shows that the relentless growth of 3G traffic volumes will create a 3G network capacity crisis for some mobile network operators as early as 2010. Early deployment of LTE will be essential, and continued growth in data consumption will create insatiable demand for LTE… Read more
Before the introduction of mobile broadband services and the rapid update of 3G smartphones, non-voice services were dominated by services that do not consume much network resource, as shown in the table below, such as text messaging, games downloads and small-screen (WAP) browsing. With an increasing penetration of USB modems and datacards, and smartphones, the… Read more
3G operators may choose to use dedicated broadcasting networks, or 3G broadcasting solutions, to deliver mobile TV and radio services. Some 3G operators could build their own networks, while others could share. In Europe, some 3G operators are interested in DVB-H, particularly now that mainstream mobile handset vendors such as Nokia are planning to offer a… Read more
Mobile users have been increasingly using their mobile phones instead of fixed phones to make voice calls, driven by convenience and affordability, and this trend will continue. Affordable voice bundles with generous allowances of anytime any-network minutes are now widespread in Europe and the USA. In Western Europe, fixed–mobile substitution for voice telephony has continued… Read more