Mobile operators risk killing the promise of television on high-speed 3G
mobile networks by creating unattractive billing plans,
Current Analysis
has warned in a new study.
Television on mobile phones is expected to be the big
revenue spinner for mobile operators in 2006, according to Bena Roberts, a
wireless analyst at Current Analysis.
Mobile TV is ready for mainstream adoption now that high-speed 3G data
networks are more commonly available and because handset manufacturers have
developed large-screen devices.
The services offer interactive media and entertainment on the move, as well
as a way for users to "show off".
"The user experience is secondary to the fashion statement of having TV on
the mobile device," noted Roberts.
But few operators currently offer subscription models that will attract users
in the long term, the analyst warned.
Consumers tend to shy away from monthly subscription plans on top of existing
fees because of the charges. Pay-as-you-go plans, on the other hand, make users
fear their bill at the end of the month.
Most operators currently offer a mobile TV service as a free trial until
early next year. In the UK
Vodafone and
3 offer a plan at £5 a
month. An alternative to the monthly flat-fee subscription is a charge based on
the time a user is connected to the service.
A better option, according to Roberts, is to bundle mobile TV with 3G
subscription plans. "This way, users simply 'get' free mobile TV," she
explained.
Orange France is
currently the only provider offering such bundles through its 'Intense'
offerings. Subscribers to Intense get access to one hour of TV a month during
off-peak hours such as evenings and weekends.
"This bundled offer is the strongest for fuelling the demand and use of
mobile TV," said Roberts.
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