New mobile TV network bypasses 3G technology
A trial of a new mobile TV service is taking place in Paris. A “hybrid network” created by two French companies and one Irish company is intended to combine mobile and satellite technologies to broadcast instant TV to any mobile device.
Who’s involved?
Alactel-Lucent: this France-based telecoms company is a global power player in network infrastructure. This is a company that allows network operators to exist - building, maintaining and upgrading telecoms networks in countries all over the world.
TowerCast: the second French company in the triumvirate, TowerCast is a broadcast equipment company that specialises in building broadcast networks for radio and television.
Solaris Mobile: based in Dublin, this company is a joint-venture of two satellite operators - SES ASTRA and Eutelsat Communications. Founded in 2008, it is fully focused on allowing mobile devices to receive services and transmissions from satellites.
What are they doing?
Between them, these three companies have created a hybrid network combining satellite, TV and mobile technologies. This network is currently on pilot in France, allowing TV transmission to be sent at real-time satellite speeds to mobile devices - far faster than current 3G data services could possibly provide.
Solaris Mobile is providing the satellite end of the network, with TowerCast providing antenna sites all over Paris. And Alcatel-Lucent is the glue holding the hybrid together, providing the transmission equipment that allows the different components to communicate. The signals are broadcast in a frequency that can transmit alongside 3G services without taking up any of its network capacity. Currently the receiving devices are limited to a number of special handsets that Solaris Mobile has deployed for the pilot.
Back in May, Solaris Mobile was one of only two companies granted a license to deliver these kinds of service. That license was from the European Commission, and extends to all 27 countries within the European Union. So if the pilot is succesful, it’s possible for Solaris Mobile to extend mobile satellite TV to the rest of Europe.
What we think?
I really like this idea. Mobile TV has hit a lot of stumbling blocks, many of them caused by slow download speeds. 3G networks simply aren’t reliable enough to offer a good viewing experience on mobile - not too mention that streaming live video can wreak havoc on a consumers monthly bill.
This system would completely bypass the existing mobile networks. Because it’s based on much of the same technology as a regular TV broadcast, it would be just as fast as your regular television viewing. Of course there are a lot of problems to be overcome, even if the Paris trial is successful. The necessary receivers need to be placed in devices by the manufacturers - and since this system pretty much cuts the operators out of the picture, I can’t imagine them being very happy with it.
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I don’t think it will justified considering the market and business model for TV mobility. With high resokution achieved through higher codec and part of subscription data streaming, 3G mobile still yet fully monetised.
Bypassing 3g for mobile tv, there is dvbh, which still also has not monetised nor giving an awesome ROI
Building a separate network just to watch tv is a huge ask, when especially the current coroporate themes are “where is the money”
Additionally, at the other end of the equation is the broadcast-only models (DVB-H, MediaFLO, DMB) which are one way transmission based. These eliminate the downloading issues 3G network solutions, however are stalled by lack of 2 way signals for services like real time ad serving to allow for targeting, preferences, customization etc. Perhaps this new hybrid may have a potential solution.