Coda Research — Mobile Making Major Moves (SatBroadcasting™)

A new survey from the Coda Research Consultancy has found that the number of Americans accessing video content via their mobile phones will climb to 74 million by 2015 and create traffic totalling 145 terabytes per month. The report, ‘Mobile Video and TV in the US: An Assessment‘ argues that, although video via carrier networks will exist alongside broadcast mobile TV, mobile video user growth will be steeper because it will likely enable greater content variety, more control for users, more niche programming, and greater opportunities for personalisation and advertising.

In addition to accessing video on mobile phones, Coda calculates that Americans accessing video content via mobile broadband onto laptops and netbooks will total 24 million, and create traffic totalling 311 terabytes per month. Dr Steve Smith, the report’s author, pointed out that increased smartphone use will drive the market growth which will be linear rather than exponential. He said, “Viewing video on small devices out of home is new. The challenge for service providers is to create the kinds of services people want and to help people make the transition from what they are currently doing on their phones to something entirely new. Smartphones are not only used by more advanced users, they actually help stimulate advanced use. Also, growth of video applications and larger, haptic screens on smartphones will increase take-up. The importance that smartphones will have for mobile video take-up is indicated by the increase in ownership, which will rise to 132 million in 2015. By then, smartphones will account for 64 percent of all mobile phone sales.”