Nearly 120 million mobile users in more than 40
countries are expected to receivebroadcast TV servicesby 2012,
according to a new report from Jupiter Research.
That is nearly 10 times the current number of users, but the
report warns that services face technological and regulatory
hurdles in the interim.
The report said although the European Commission's support for
the DVB-H mobile
TV standard is a huge boost to that standard, it creates
uncertainty for those who regard other technologies as more
cost-effective.
The report also emphasised the need for regulators to make the
UHF spectrum
available as soon as possible, and for suppliers to ensure that
broadcast TV chipsets are rapidly introduced into a wide range of
handsets to promote adoption.
The report said the US will be the largest single market for
mobile broadcast TV services in 2012, followed by Japan and
Italy.
Advertising is expected to contribute an increasing proportion
to overall mobile TV revenues, but in most cases will provide a
supplementary revenue stream. Most services are expected to rely
mostly on both subscriptions and pay-per-view for revenue.