O2 and the BBC are apparently both interested in hearing more from Qualcomm about a potential MediaFLO Mobile TV network in the UK, according to the FT.
As you might know, Qualcomm recently won the L-band radio spectrum auction in the UK, laying out £8.3m – small fry for a company that spent out many many times that in the US. Qualcomm also ran a trial with BSkyB last year, which is supposed to have gone very well.
The FT quotes an O2 representative as saying: “MediaFlo is a technology well suited to providing TV to mobiles. As always, it’s about having a good range of handsets and getting the customer experience right.”
The article quotes the BBC, meanwhile, as saying it was interested in mobile TV and talked to all the main players, adding: “We are watching the current situation with interest.”
I take the comment from O2 as interesting one – mainly because that’s absolutely the right stance to make the MediaFLO service work – user experience, decent handsets, and additionally I reckon, a closed delivery system – why? – well, with something as complex end-to-end as Mobile TV, having standards actually makes the process rather slow – having a closed loop with one source defining the specfications and acting as authority, means that compliance is a clear-cut thing. And with rapid development comes a quick launch – something Mobile TV as a service needs, in order to start generating those all-important revenues.
The fact that Qualcomm has “taken ownership” of providing the spectrum (and also infrastructure, were a service to be launched), means that operators and/or service providers could potentially lease the delivery channel, whilst offering their own services over, and alongside, the mobile broadcast TV experience – Neat-o!!
[Via: Mobile Entertainment]