US
: The introduction of MBMS to the mobile networks will further enhance
possibilities for mobile operators, allowing them to meet the future
demands of mobile TV users during peak live TV broadcasts, such as
of sporting events, news and music contest finals.
MBMS allows different
forms of content to be broadcast in different areas of the mobile
network and stimulates the development of new mobile mass-media services.
As a complement
to the unicast solution in mobile networks, MBMS makes more efficient
use of network resources and capacity through point-to-multi-point
connection, which allows an unlimited number of users to watch the
same mobile TV program at the same time in the same area.
HÃ¥kan
Eriksson, Senior Vice President and General Manager, R&D, and
Ericsson CTO, says: "As mobile broadcast technology evolves,
we are seeing growing interest among operators to utilize their existing
mobile networks for their multimedia services. Transferring media
over telecom networks brings new opportunities for operators, content
providers and end-users."
Mobile TV over
mobile networks allows and encourages interactivity, with viewers
able to interact with mobile TV shows by voting or greeting via SMS
or MMS. These services offer users a richer TV experience and give
both TV networks and operators opportunities to increase their revenues
with content fees and advertising, and by appealing to a wider audience.
MBMS also supports
the delivery of multimedia emergency alert information, a valuable
complement to existing emergency alert systems. It enables notification
of users in disaster areas with transmission of detailed information
about what to do and where to go, including evacuation maps.
MBMS will be commercially
available in the second half of 2007 and will be a software upgrade
on existing HSDPA networks. Mobile devices supporting MBMS technology
will be available by the end of 2007.
MBMS is part of
the WCDMA evolution standardized by the 3rd Generation Partnership
Project (3GPP).