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Qualcomm goes with the FLO

Qualcomm has been showcasing its 8MHz international mobile broadcast platform on European Channel 50 at Barcelona's Mobile World Congress 2008. The demonstration features 30 channels of TV and radio programming, IP datacasting applications for sports, news and weather, and Clipcasting media and interactive services, writes Fergal Ringrose.

Qualcomm has been showcasing its 8MHz international mobile broadcast platform on European Channel 50 at Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress 2008. The demonstration features 30 channels of TV and radio programming, IP datacasting applications for sports, news and weather, and Clipcasting media and interactive services, writes Fergal Ringrose.

“The convergence of mobile communications and entertainment has created a vast global market opportunity for pay-TV providers and wireless operators to provide compelling new services that transform the way consumers access and interact with mobile content,” said Andrew Gilbert, executive vice president of Qualcomm Incorporated and president of Qualcomm Internet Services and MediaFLO Technologies. “Our global research shows that mobile subscribers value mobile video as the preferred application after voice services and furthermore want a multichannel content mix that covers a wide variety of genres. The MediaFLO demonstration in Barcelona highlights the channel capacity and service flexibility needed to support what consumers desire, while also providing a viable revenue opportunity for mobile TV service providers.”

The MediaFLO demonstrations were conducted in collaboration with Spanish telecommunications infrastructure management company Abertis along with international content and applications providers such as conVISUAL, Deutsche Welle, Pro Seibens and Roundbox. Beyond linear TV, the MediaFLO platform supports diverse applications for audio, video and data services, illustrating how the emerging mobile media market will evolve from simply a mobile version of traditional TV to a highly differentiated offering that, the company states, is personal and interactive. Also on display were proof-of-concept prototypes developed by Qualcomm to demonstrate MediaFLO technology on non-cellular devices. Among them was the new muCard, a mini-USB peripheral with a FLO receiver that allows users to watch TV on phones, laptops and ultra-portable devices, while the V-Card prototype features a 2-inch, colour QVGA screen in a keychain style personal media player.