Telecommunications Predictions - TMT Trends 2008 - Part 1.
Mondaq Business Briefing › Nbr. 2008, March 2008
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Summary
Technology, Media & Telecommunications
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Telecommunications Predictions - TMT Trends 2008 - Part 1.
Forward
Welcome to the 2008 edition of the DTT Global TMT Industry Group's Telecommunications Predictions. As predicted in last year's Telecommunications report, concerns about inadequate capacity in the networks that underpin the Internet grew, particularly as video streaming and downloading continued to increase in popularity. The net neutrality debate became less charged, as opposing sides started to take a more constructive stance. Broadband appliances, particularly games consoles and connected digital music players, helped to shift the center of gravity of the broadband market away from the PC, albeit slightly. As predicted, mobile television failed to gain significant traction, with some services ramping down or shutting down entirely due to weak demand. Many mobile operators accelerated their deployment of technologies designed to boost indoor coverage, and new data suggested that in-building usage was greater than ever. IPTV struggled to differentiate itself from regular television, and overall, demand for the medium remained niche. The mobile data industry continued to be dominated by exchanges of small packets of data, such as messaging and ringtones, rather than large multimedia files. Fixed operator triple-play launches were widespread, but discounting remained the main marketing tool - leaving the proposition's power to deliver profits open to question. The connectivity chasm grew ever wider, as the wealthy enjoyed increasing connectivity options, while the poor were left with few, if any. And free offers continued to be used across the sector, although their impact on penetration growth, particularly in some of the world's most developed markets, was limited. The outlook for the telecommunications sector in 2008 is similarly varied. This year's Predictions cover: the impact of a possible economic downturn on the telecommunications sector; the growing viability of a machine-to-machine market, catalyzed by the imminent arrival of the $10 mobile phone; a more positive approach to disruption in the telecommunications sector; how to make the convergence of GPS and mobile technology a commercial success; the growing importance of communications to new media companies; the rise of mobile network sharing as a means to get mobile indoors; the increasing importance of making communications accessible to all consumers; the rise of the emerging market global mobile titan; the uncertain relationship between bandwidth and revenues in the broadband market, and the outlook for GSM as it reaches 21 years of age. I am often asked how the DTT TMT Global Industry Group's Predictions differ from the many similarly titled ...See the full content of this document
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