A nationwide mediacasting network bringing high-quality video and audio programming to third-generation cell phones at mass market cost is in the works from wireless chipmaker Qualcomm Inc., which said November 1 that they hope to have it online commercially in 2006.
“Qualcomm strongly believes that the broad delivery of wireless multimedia services is the logical next step in the evolution of the wireless industry,” Qualcomm president of wireless and Internet Dr. Paul E. Jacobs said announcing the project. “Building on our deep relationships with wireless operators, handset manufacturers and content providers, we can accelerate the adoption of multimedia on wireless devices by making it truly cost effective using our [Forward Link Only] technology and prime nationwide 700 MHz spectrum.”
The company's MediaFLO subsidiary will provide the services in partnerships with American mobile phone services, with Qualcomm saying they created the subsidiary because they plan eventually to spin the operation off to its shareholders.
The plan, Qualcomm said, is to gather and distribute the video and audio content available to MediaFLO partners and offer "seamless integration" of that content to other unique content provided by individual operators to keep "competitive differentiation." MediaFLO will give television stations, cable and satellite operators, and other content providers a new distribution channel to complement their incumbent offerings, Qualcomm continued, letting them reach audiences when those viewers and listeners are not at home.
Maryland-based telecommunications consultants The Shosteck Group said they were impressed with the MediaFLO plan and project. It "brings the cable and digital TV realms into the mobile value chain,” chief executive Jane Zweig said about the MediaFLO announcement. “New partnerships and new revenue streams will be enabled as the content and mobile worlds become more tightly bound together. These opportunities exist for both vendors and operators alike.”
The multimedia content will go to wireless mobile devices in the 700 megahertz spectrum for which Qualcomm holds licenses letting the network serve the entire U.S., Qualcomm said.
FLO technology, according to Qualcomm, "is designed for markets where dedicated spectrum is available and where regulations permit high-power transmission from one or a small number of towers. As in Platinum Multicast, FLO transmits packets using orthogonal frequency division multiplex. It is complementary to existing cellular networks because interactive services are supported within the mobile device using the CDMA2000 1X, 1xEV-DO or WCDMA cellular link.
"FLO is intended as an alternative to other multimedia multicasting technologies, such as DVB-H," the company continued. "Compared to other multicast technologies, FLO technology is designed specifically for use in mobile devices where low battery power consumption is critical, enabling it to offer superior mobility, power efficiency and coverage characteristics – considerations that are fundamental to the mobile handheld consumer usage environment."
The FLO network Qualcomm has in mind is aimed at supporting between 50 and 100 national and local content channels, including up to 15 live streaming channels and "numerous" clipcast and audio channels, delivered in easy-use formats "at quality levels that dramatically surpass current mobile multimedia offerings," looking to use video up to 30 frames per second and high-quality stereo audio.
To get the project rolling in earnest, MediaFLO is looking for investments up to $800 million in the next four to five years, some of which could be funded by third-party investors, Qualcomm said.
