ALTHOUGH WORLDWIDE MOBILE TV broadcast subscription revenue is predicted to reach US$12 billion in 2012, the current fragmentation of standards in mobile TV broadcasting may impede rollout. Certainly, standards fragmentation appears here to stay, according to Scottsdale, Ariz.-based market research firm In-Stat.
Mobile TV broadcasting standards being used currently or under development include DVB-H, ATSC-M/H, CMMB, ISDB-T, DVB-SH, T-DMB and MediaFLO. According to In-Stat, DVB-H is the most widely used digital mobile TV broadcast standard, in terms of number of operators that have launched services, globally.
In its new report, “Worldwide Mobile TV Broadcasting: Analog a Viable Option”, In-Stat says the most popular mobile TV broadcast services are those offered without subscription, as in Japan and South Korea. However, providers typically view mobile TV broadcast services as revenue generators, so many mobile TV broadcast services will be subscription-based. Furthermore, operators in multiple countries in both Europe and Asia are expected to launch mobile TV broadcast services in 2008, driving the subscriber increases, In-Stat said.
Based on its research, In-Stat predicts analog mobile TV broadcast viewers will outpace digital mobile TV broadcast viewers and subscribers in 2009.
