Broadcasting for mobile phones, by TV spec. or by mobile phone spec. (2008.3.14)

There are two methods for broadcasting for mobile phones, one is by TV spec. and the other is by mobile phone spec. These two methods have been studied world widely by TV companies and mobile phone companies.

1.Broadcasting method

Broadcasting by TV spec.: DVB-H　has been studied in Europe and various Asian countries, One Segment and ISDBT in Japan

Broadcasting by mobile phone spec.: American mobile phone companies started broadcasting for mobile phones by MediaFLO.NTT Docomo is studying to start broadcasting for mobile phones by 3.9G and 4G of CDMA.

2. Equipment cost

TV broadcasting uses VHF band which reaches long range area and total equipment cost is less expensive than the equipment cost of mobile phone to cover the same area. This must be the reason why many TV companies and mobile phone companies in the world has been studying to use TV spec. for broadcasting for mobile phones.

However, mobile phone companies basic equipment cost has been depreciated already and necessary band will be much less in near future by the advancement of mobile phone engineering of 3.9G, 4G.

3. Viewer’s watching data, presumed or fixed

TV spec.: Viewer’s watching data shall be collected by audience rating survey and its data is presumed one as TV has no vehicle to communicate with audiences.

Mobile phone spec.: Viewer’s watching data can be collected automatically and its data is fixed one as mobile phone system is interactive.

The company who can present fixed data such as,” 10million people are watching your CM now” can be very much persuasive for sponsors.

Though mobile phone companies have detailed information on their users such as name, address, age, male or female etc., these data shall not be used commercially considering personal data secrecy agreement.

4. Single channel or multi channels
Broadcasting company by TV spec. basically uses one channel and allocate various programs such as news, music, drama etc. time wisely.

While broadcasting company by mobile phone spec. uses multi channels system and allocate each program channel wisely. One channel for music, the other channel for music, etc. ( MediaFLO in USA uses 8 channels)

If a company who broadcasts for mobile phones by multi channels system allocates 500KHz for one channel, they use 10MHz for 20 channels.

Cable TV companies in USA are offering more than 100channels, such as News (CNN), music (MTV), sports (ESPN), kids, drama, health, etc.

Broadcasting companies could select the other way for program production, program made for each generation and for male and female differently.

Supermarkets are controlling sales stock at their shop by item by item and check their customers purchase trend personally by POS system. Broadcasting companies should consider this trend, watch their users personally.

Channel programs can be made according to generations, elementary school・middle school・high school by 3 channels, college students・office staff・managers・ managements・retired staff、each for male and female by 10channels, English news, Chinese news, Korean news, Overseas news by 4 channels, in total 17 channels, broadcasting companies can broadcast detailed programs by 20 channels.

Program production could become very heavy burden for broadcasting companies for supplying such detailed programs. They　should consider new methods for program production such as, take up small size production companies, introduces Internet contents, integrate various small size MVNO under a large size MVNO.

5. Legacy media and broadcasting for mobile phones

Major players of legacy media are TV, Newｓ Paper, Weekly Magazines who are offering the same contents for all generations, while so may magazines are offering generation wise contents to cover information not covered by major players. Books cover very much specialized information not covered by magazines.

The subscribers of these legacy media are changing their information source to Internet. The reason why the use of the Internet expands so rapidly is because of the easiness of information search by their home PC or by office PC. Students and business staff should visit bookstores and libraries in order to get necessary information by the legacy media. From this point of view, mobile phone in the pocket is much more convenient than PC.

Information can be downloaded in mobile phone’s memory sent by broadcasting. Information not found in mobile phone memory can be downloaded separately each time.

Broadcasting for mobile phones has merits of Internet, detailed information and easy search. Furthermore, it is more convenient to carry, user shift from PC Internet to mobile phone Internet will become a real one.