The Mobile Zone at IBC 2009 fulfilled its mission as the leading expo for mobile TV and video products and services and was hailed as the best yet.

You’d think that among the biggest casualties of the largest recession for decades would be those industries heavily dependent on discretionary spending; mobile TV and video for example. Well there’s certain logic to that: the smartphones and other devices need to run mobile TV and video applications are expensive little things that would burn a hole in most pockets at the best of times. And then there's content: if viewers can’t pay for them then how do suppliers exist? Well you’d think that an exhibition for such technology would have been something more akin to a wake than a showcase. Well you’d be wrong – the MobileZone at IBC 2009 was a run away success exceeding all expectations.

Bright outlook
This is not mere hyperbole. Based in the spanking new Elysium at the RAI Centre in Amsterdam, this year’s Mobile Zone played host to more exhibitors than ever all of whom displayed a very rare quantity: optimism. Okay the optimism was essentially guarded and there was a pervasive air of realism but what can’t be denied is that those in the Zone, and those in the other halls of IBC with similar products to show, could see light ate end of the tunnel. For some companies, the recession has actually had a positive effect. Take MediaFLO for example. For a number of years the mobile TV division of Qualcomm would come to IBC to see if it could attract European operators to use its technology to base a mobile video service. For a number of years the firm would return to California without having announced one, despite undertaking successful trials of its technology with leading operators and content owners, even Sky Sports.

Fresh claim
The received wisdom has been that DVB-H services would have dominated Europe by now: for a number of reasons they clearly haven’t. This has opened up an opportunity for MediaFLO to restake its claim and IBC 2009 saw somewhat of a show of strength from the MediaFLO community. In fact, Kamil Grajski, President of the FLO Forum, a multi-company initiative committed to advancing the global standardisation of FLO Technology, told C2M that he was “more bullish than ever” towards the prospects of Media Flo deployment. “There’s been an explosion of content that has mobile consumers taking increased interest in mobile video.” Grajski reveled that MediaFLO technology was being introduced to 15 new markets by first time players who wanted to provide nationwide services in their country of origin. He made particular reference to Japan where MediaFLO had been added to the approved list of technologies that could be licensed on airways. But for the technology to flourish anywhere what was needed was an infrastructure and in a panel event the FLO Forum attempted to show the breadth of the FLO community partners with which FLO TV could build up a viable infrastructure. The panel included representatives from mobile content security and access provider Irdeto; real-time and on-demand video solutions supplier VectorMAX; video transcoding firm Media Excel; mobile embedded rich media solutions provider Streamezzo; international communications and information technology company Harris.

Key theme
One of the key themes that came out of the panel meeting was the general consensus that mobile video content was not an issue but that bandwidth is. And this is the key driver for MediaFLO. Even with high-bandwidth 3G networks, using telecoms networks to watch mobile video paces huge strain on networks. In fact one industry professional, who did not want to be named, revealed that most mobile networks could really only ensure a high quality mobile video experience for only ten users in a mobile cell. Such limitations are clearly a detriment to any hopes of business development. The FLO Forum made the eloquent case that mobile video had to be off-band running on dedicated mobile video networks such as the case for the MediaFLO networks in the US used by Verizon Wireless and AT&T. And, Grajski, emphasised such problems in the 3G world would not be addressed by the advent of 4G networks based on LTE and WiMAX. “[MediaFLO’s] business case becomes more compelling, especially as the ecosystem evolves, “he added. “For operators, in the short term [MediaFLO] networks give 4G operators a positive capex option.” This was also what Neville Meijers, senior vice president and general manager Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies, told C2M. “Whether a 3G or a 4G network, a [dedicated] broadcast mobile TV network is the most efficient means of distributing content. [We offer] an opportunity to monetise the pipe and to open up pay services.”

Infinite variety
For its part FLO TV itself used IBC to show a wide range of devices and technology that could support MediaFLO-based video. These include virtually all of the major handsets commercially available and also systems embedded within cars and other forms of transport. The company chose the occasion of the show to announce that leading US automotive entertainment supplier Audiovox had chosen FLO TV as its system partner in its plan to offer live in-vehicle TV through its network of more than 12,000 new car dealers throughout the US. Meijers had confidence that the Audiovox relationship would provide fruitful and would be part of an overall strategy to deliver video services to different platforms. He also expressed a wish to see MediaFLO built into a whole range of devices such as smart books as well as ‘traditional’ handsets and automotive locations. Complementing the optimism of Kamil Grajski, Meijers predicted that in twelve months , despite the challenge of a complex ecosystem, complications with FLO TV would make the long awaited breakthrough and secure a partner with whom to launch services in one of the major countries. So despite everything, only optimism from the MediaFLO camp.