BOSTON-German wireless users are unimpressed with mobile TV, according to a report from Strategy Analytics.
Poor network performance, a lack of compelling content and inadequate devices are resulting in disappointing user experiences, the research firm said after examining two services. While users said T-Mobile’s Handy TV performed better than Vodafone’s Live Mobile TV, neither service resonated with viewers.
“Users were virtually unanimously opposed to paying for current generation mobile TV offerings due to frustrations with perceived network quality and performance,” said Strategy Analytics analyst Paul Brown. “Out of more than 50 test users, more than half experienced network-related problems over three consecutive nights of testing.”
The study also found the two services suffer from a lack of compelling content, highlighting a key challenge for mobile TV providers. While dedicated mobile TV networks from Qualcomm Inc. and Crown Castle International Corp. should address crucial delivery issues for U.S. users as they come online later this year, carriers still must determine what kind of programming will resonate with consumers.
“Identifying the types of content that users are willing to pay for, and consume, via their mobile device is perhaps the toughest challenge that operators and service providers face in their efforts to monetize mobile TV services over the longer term,” said Kevin Nolan, director of Strategy Analytics’ Advanced Wireless Laboratory.
