Vodafone UK launched its UMTS network in November 2004 with a corresponding consumer media package called Vodafone Live! The package offers picture messaging along with ringtones, games, e-mail, messaging and a variety of multimedia services including video clips. In November 2005, Vodafone UK bolstered its 3G service portfolio with the launch of mobile TV. The mobile TV offering, Sky Mobile TV, is offered in conjunction with BSkyB (the British satellite television broadcaster), and has numerous strengths, yet Vodafone must avoid becoming complacent given the growing interest in mobile TV from its rivals. (Read More)
Successful IPTV deployments are more about selling broadband than about selling television. While telcos are leaders in the broadband space, they remain novices in the pay-TV market. Therefore, it is arguably more profitable for telcos to maintain their position in the broadband segment than to become a leader in the pay-TV space, as TV is only one of the many revenue-generating applications that can be carried over broadband. (Read More)
Our 2005 report, "Get on Track with Mobile Music" predicted that most operators would aim high with per-track pricing, figuring that since ringtones can be sold for US$3, why can't full songs be sold the same way? Indeed, most operators have decided to offer music downloads for considerably more than the iTunes benchmark of US$0.99. With Sprint's recent announcement of over one million music downloads after just 4 months of service launch, it would appear that the market is in fact prepared to support current pricing, but, we argue, that is not the case. (Read More)
At the CTIA exhibition in Las Vegas, SprintNextel stated it did not expect to add more MVNOs on its network over the medium term. Instead, the company plans to focus on those brands with which it has already signed agreements and assess their performance. Sprint's new stance carries substantial implications for the shape of the MVNO landscape in the US market, and provides additional insight into the wholesale strategy of the carrier. (Read More)
