Television viewing on mobile phones should be commonplace by 2008, at least in Europe and the US. This opinion was recently expressed by Nokia, the world's largest cell phone maker. Trials conducted in the past year have shown that consumers like the service and are willing to pay 5 to 10 euros per month for it.
"Excited by the prospects of a possible cash cow, the mobile and broadcast industries are keen to launch commercial services in Europe and the United States," reports CNN, "while South Korea already has them in operation."
"There are currently half a dozen mobile TV technologies which work in many different parts of the frequency band."
Because of this frequency variation, different countries will adopt mobile TV at different rates. Finland, France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands are expected to adopt it commercially in the near future, while the process may take longer in other countries.
Portable TVs
Nokia Introduces Idea of TV-Embedded Mobiles
Trend Themes
1. Mobile TV - The rise of mobile TV will provide opportunities for businesses to innovate with services that integrate live television on smartphones and other handheld devices.
2. Multimedia Phones - As mobile phones integrate more multimedia features, including TV, businesses have an opportunity to innovate with new forms of interactive advertising and content delivery.
3. Personalized TV Streaming - As TV-viewing becomes more mobile, businesses will have an opportunity to innovate with personalized TV streaming services that allow users to watch their favorite shows on-the-go.
Industry Implications
1. Mobile Phone Manufacturers - Mobile phone manufacturers have an opportunity to innovate with TV-embedded mobile phones that provide users with a seamless television viewing experience.
2. Broadcasting - Broadcasters have an opportunity to innovate with mobile TV services that allow users to watch live television on-the-go.
3. Advertising - As TV-viewing becomes more mobile, the advertising industry has an opportunity to innovate with new forms of interactive advertising that engage viewers on the go.