With a drop in the cost of mobile phones, an increased in coverage and subscription, the mobile phone has evolved as a primary voice device to a multi-tasking gadget capable of providing several services. Africa has been
described as the world’s fastest-growing mobile phone market.
Over the past couple of years, mobile phone subscription has increased by over 500 per cent,according to United Nations data. The annual growth rate of mobile phone subscribers in 2007 alone was more than 40 per cent. Today, it is estimated that 1 in 11 Africans is a mobile subscriber.
Today, the mobile phone has evolved as a simple voice device to a multi-tasking gadget capable of providing several services. One of the newest services is mobile television. This is the provision of television services to subscribers for viewing on handheld or portable devices.
Even though the technical specification for the deployment of mobile TV is still being debated, two dominant technologies are currently competing on the market: Terrestrial Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (T-DMB) and Digital Video Broadcasting for Handhelds (DVB-H).
T-DMB has the capacity to transmit digital data, audio and visual images to handsets while DVB-H allows for the digital terrestrial broadcast of live television channels to a mobile phone.
Another technical standard is MediaFlo, which can provide more channels. The three technologies use different bands and
channeling. So far, it appears DVB-H is the most widely used standard in Europe and other parts of the world.
The European Union sees the need to adopt one TV broadcast standard for the entire Europe.
So far, it has endorsed the DVB-H standard.
This position was articulated by Viviane Reding, the European Commissioner for information, media and society at one of the EU’s forum. However, eventually, the market is likely to decide which of the two broadcasting techniques will win acceptance. South Korea is viewed as the world’s most advanced market for mobile TV.
Together with Japan, the two countries have 20 million mobile TV customers, more than 30 times the number of users in the European Union.
The use of mobile TV is beginning to emerge in Africa. For example, Vodacom, a mobile operator in South Africa launched its Mobile TV service in South Africa on December 1, 2005.
The technical standard is based on DVB-H. Sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest cellular operator, MTN, with operation in 21 African countries and the Middle East, is collaborating with media firm Naspers to offer mobile TV services to subscribers.
MTN South Africa, part of the MTN Group, has teamed up with Gemato to roll out mobile TV services. The service was launched in 2006. Since South Africa is hosting the 2010 World Cup, it hopes to take advantage of the event. The technical standard is based on 3G and DVB-H technology.
In theWest African sub-region, Black Star Television recently launched its Mobile TV service in Ghana. The technical standard being used is T-DMB.
With this technology, it is possible for subscribers to receive television broadcast signals from the country’s TV stations on their mobile phones. Currently, One Touch, a subsidiary of Ghana Telecom is collaborating with Black Star TV to bring the service to Ghanaian subscribers.
Subscribers have to purchase a T-DMB phone at a cost of GH¢200.00 to enable them to have access to the service.ROK Africa, the subsidiary of the UK-based ROK Entertainment Group is collaborating with FoneWorx, a telecommunications service provider to introduce a mobile streaming service to countries such as Nigeria, Angola, Zambia, Namibia, etc.
The service enables subscribers to watch a range of live or on-demand content streamed to their mobile handset.
Prospects and Challenges Mobile TV can generate new business opportunities and benefit consumers.
It makes it possible for users to watch TV programmes while in transit; it has the potential to create new income sources for content providers and jobs for people employed in the industry. But, for it to be successful in Africa and other parts of the world, there is the need to address a number of issues.
One is the technical standard for the operation of mobile TV. Even though two
dominant standards exist, there are others in operation in other parts of the world.
DVB is an industry consortium responsible for developing standards for digital television broadcasting.
Currently, there are standards such as DVB-C for cable, DVB-S for satellite DVB-T for terrestrial,. and DVB-H for handheld. The debate to adopt one common standard is ongoing.
There is the need for some form of standardization to overcome the risk of market fragmentation due to the availability of different technical options.
The successful deployment of Mobile TV requires constant
interaction among television content providers, channel owners and mobile phone
operators.
The role of each partner has to be clearly delineated to ensure continuing harmony among the collaborating partners.
Another issue has to do with the payment for mobile TV. Today’s mobile phones are equipped with several applications-music player, cameras, videos, calendar, appointment book, games, etc.
One uses all these applications without paying a fee. For example, people download music from the Internet to their mobile phones for free. Why should they pay to download reality TV clips.
Some mobile TV users don’t see why they should pay a subscription fee to receive the same TV content that they are already receiving at home. Besides, available data on mobile TV usage shows that most people watch mobile TV for a limited time.
Viewing TV on a mobile phone requires a special type of phone with a bigger view. One needs a phone that supports digital broadcast.
Phone manufacturers such as LG, Samsung, Motorola, etc. are experimenting with new mobile TV handsets.
There is the need for the market to be flooded with TV-compliant mobile phones and the enhancement of the audio-visual capability of the new generation cellphones.
described as the world’s fastest-growing mobile phone market.
Over the past couple of years, mobile phone subscription has increased by over 500 per cent,according to United Nations data. The annual growth rate of mobile phone subscribers in 2007 alone was more than 40 per cent. Today, it is estimated that 1 in 11 Africans is a mobile subscriber.
Today, the mobile phone has evolved as a simple voice device to a multi-tasking gadget capable of providing several services. One of the newest services is mobile television. This is the provision of television services to subscribers for viewing on handheld or portable devices.
Even though the technical specification for the deployment of mobile TV is still being debated, two dominant technologies are currently competing on the market: Terrestrial Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (T-DMB) and Digital Video Broadcasting for Handhelds (DVB-H).
T-DMB has the capacity to transmit digital data, audio and visual images to handsets while DVB-H allows for the digital terrestrial broadcast of live television channels to a mobile phone.
Another technical standard is MediaFlo, which can provide more channels. The three technologies use different bands and
channeling. So far, it appears DVB-H is the most widely used standard in Europe and other parts of the world.
The European Union sees the need to adopt one TV broadcast standard for the entire Europe.
So far, it has endorsed the DVB-H standard.
This position was articulated by Viviane Reding, the European Commissioner for information, media and society at one of the EU’s forum. However, eventually, the market is likely to decide which of the two broadcasting techniques will win acceptance. South Korea is viewed as the world’s most advanced market for mobile TV.
Together with Japan, the two countries have 20 million mobile TV customers, more than 30 times the number of users in the European Union.
The use of mobile TV is beginning to emerge in Africa. For example, Vodacom, a mobile operator in South Africa launched its Mobile TV service in South Africa on December 1, 2005.
The technical standard is based on DVB-H. Sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest cellular operator, MTN, with operation in 21 African countries and the Middle East, is collaborating with media firm Naspers to offer mobile TV services to subscribers.
MTN South Africa, part of the MTN Group, has teamed up with Gemato to roll out mobile TV services. The service was launched in 2006. Since South Africa is hosting the 2010 World Cup, it hopes to take advantage of the event. The technical standard is based on 3G and DVB-H technology.
In theWest African sub-region, Black Star Television recently launched its Mobile TV service in Ghana. The technical standard being used is T-DMB.
With this technology, it is possible for subscribers to receive television broadcast signals from the country’s TV stations on their mobile phones. Currently, One Touch, a subsidiary of Ghana Telecom is collaborating with Black Star TV to bring the service to Ghanaian subscribers.
Subscribers have to purchase a T-DMB phone at a cost of GH¢200.00 to enable them to have access to the service.ROK Africa, the subsidiary of the UK-based ROK Entertainment Group is collaborating with FoneWorx, a telecommunications service provider to introduce a mobile streaming service to countries such as Nigeria, Angola, Zambia, Namibia, etc.
The service enables subscribers to watch a range of live or on-demand content streamed to their mobile handset.
Prospects and Challenges Mobile TV can generate new business opportunities and benefit consumers.
It makes it possible for users to watch TV programmes while in transit; it has the potential to create new income sources for content providers and jobs for people employed in the industry. But, for it to be successful in Africa and other parts of the world, there is the need to address a number of issues.
One is the technical standard for the operation of mobile TV. Even though two
dominant standards exist, there are others in operation in other parts of the world.
DVB is an industry consortium responsible for developing standards for digital television broadcasting.
Currently, there are standards such as DVB-C for cable, DVB-S for satellite DVB-T for terrestrial,. and DVB-H for handheld. The debate to adopt one common standard is ongoing.
There is the need for some form of standardization to overcome the risk of market fragmentation due to the availability of different technical options.
The successful deployment of Mobile TV requires constant
interaction among television content providers, channel owners and mobile phone
operators.
The role of each partner has to be clearly delineated to ensure continuing harmony among the collaborating partners.
Another issue has to do with the payment for mobile TV. Today’s mobile phones are equipped with several applications-music player, cameras, videos, calendar, appointment book, games, etc.
One uses all these applications without paying a fee. For example, people download music from the Internet to their mobile phones for free. Why should they pay to download reality TV clips.
Some mobile TV users don’t see why they should pay a subscription fee to receive the same TV content that they are already receiving at home. Besides, available data on mobile TV usage shows that most people watch mobile TV for a limited time.
Viewing TV on a mobile phone requires a special type of phone with a bigger view. One needs a phone that supports digital broadcast.
Phone manufacturers such as LG, Samsung, Motorola, etc. are experimenting with new mobile TV handsets.
There is the need for the market to be flooded with TV-compliant mobile phones and the enhancement of the audio-visual capability of the new generation cellphones.
