mobile TV

Type of adopters

Among the mobile phone adopters, 40% of them are considered as users of data services.
Users of data services can be considered as our social system as we saw earlier that mobile TV is the next step in the evolution from voice communication to mobile entertainment. If we assume that the category of users that make use of data services and mobile TV are potentially similar, we can separate earlier adopters in four categories (Demographics 2003):

  • Young Texters (40% of data users)
  • Content Mavens (17% of data users)
  • Mature Mainstreamers (23% of data users)
  • Suburban Prosumers (20% of data users)

Also, we need to recognize that adoption is still limited to a restricted pool of persons based on economic, geographic and legal restrictions. Diffusion is contingent on the availability of the equipment (network equipment, adapted cell phones), service (compatible service provider) and favorable legislation. Economic constraints also exists since a service provider may offer the service if it can afford to upgrade its existing network, manage to offer compatible phones and obtain capacity from the regulator to broadcast the service. Mobile TV service is based on the use of a scarce resource, airwave frequencies, and will compete with other already established services (voice communications, mobile Internet, text messaging). As the resource is limited, only a small number of players will also be allowed to provide this kind of service.

Threshold, Critical Mass

Based on the origin of the technology, mobile TV is mostly a non-interactive medium that shares some common ground with interactive media. Indeed, watching TV can be done on a personal basis and the support – the mobile phone – emphasizes the personal aspect of TV watching over the more social aspect that can also be experienced (family gathering around the TV, “football, beer and chips” evenings). However, the mobile phone is also considered as a communication tool and the re-invention is trying to make use of this aspect as well. Mobile TV may promote a new way to watch TV, referred to as “Social TV,” according to the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). Social TV will “allow geographically dispersed friends to chat and watch TV together” (Kharif 2005). Applied to mobile TV, it means that mobile TV may use interactive media technologies not only to complement the offering but most of all to help its diffusion. Indeed, while personal incentives may help fuel the adoption of mobile TV, connectors may use features of interactive media associated with the mobile phone to make mobile TV reach its critical mass. Example of such features include video phone calls (Orange 2005), mobile gaming (Caterpillar 2005) or interactive content associated to the program (vote, share with a friend, etc). While video messaging is not directly related to mobile TV, it will probably lower the personal threshold in regard to experiencing multimedia content like TV on a mobile device.

Thus, it is possible that reaching critical mass will require a low level of adoption if video messaging proves to be successful. Otherwise, mobile TV will reach critical mass only once enough people have adopted it in a way that makes it is socially acceptable to see people in public places watching TV. We can make a parallel with the adoption of the mobile phone, which needed to get some kind of “etiquette” in place to get accepted. One example of etiquette is the “10 golden rules of mobile phone etiquette” from the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA 2004).

Consequences of Innovation

In this regard, we also need to assess the consequences of mobile TV. First, similarly to a lot of mobile entertainment products, there is fear that mobile TV could impact the social relationships within a network and jeopardize the opportunity to create new ties. As a matter of fact, watching TV may leave the adopters less conscious of the surrounding environment as multimedia will require full attention of both visual and auditory senses. This is acknowledged in the “10 golden rules of mobile phone etiquette” stating “Talk to the one you’re with” (AMTA 2004). Mobile TV can also generate the opposite effect as watching a specific program may entice interactions with people standing nearby and sharing the same interests. Also, mobile TV will provide frequent travelers an opportunity to relax and entertain as if they were home. Daily commuters could be entertained on their way to and from their work, therefore being more relaxed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, mobile TV is still in an early stage in the diffusion process. However, it is based on the combination of two highly popular technologies. In addition to that, several players on the market (manufacturers, network operators, content providers) share similar objectives and have started to join forces to create a strong change agent. Their strategy is based in part on combining personal incentives with interactive media diffusion capabilities. I feel confident that the technology will diffuse even if I believe that we are still far from critical mass.

Bibliography

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