3GSM Barcelona embraces the next video wave

In a key theme Ericsson, was strongly pushing LTE Broadcast, which is designed to deliver the same stream of content to multiple users without network capacity constraints.  Ericsson dropped research findings that mobile video traffic was growing rapidly and would likely make up 55% of all mobile data traffic by 2020.  The vendor also revealed that it was working with Telstra and Singtel to enable full production LTE Broadcast capability on their networks later in 2015.

Telstra’s proposed 5G network could deliver downloads as fast as one gigabit per second or in content consumption terms stream a handful of 4K films in less than a commercial break. The carrier said at the conference that the new network was needed to meet demands for video streaming and the growing number of connected devices around the home, from smart televisions to internet-connected appliances. Telstra will work with Ericsson on lab and field-based tests from this year with a view to launch a commercial 5G network by 2020.

In a convergence highlight, Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg featured in a 3GSM keynote stating that his current mission is to bring connectivity to two-thirds of the world that are currently underserved via his year old project Internet.org. The conduit, whether fixed or wireless  was not an issue – it is connectivity by whatever means necessary.

Over the past year, Zuckerberg traversed the globe to understand the state of connectivity particularly in developing markets. “The reality is that 90 percent of people in the world live within range of a network,” Zuckerberg said. “While it’s kind of sexy to talk about satellites and balloons and stuff like that, the real work is being done by the people right here. The really work is being done by the operators.”

Combitel Managing Director Eugene Razbash commented, “it is extraordinary to see how the Mobile World Congress has evolved over the last decade. Once really the precinct for mobile vendors, carriers  and handset manufacturer, video content has now grown from a niche app proposition to driving mobile traffic.  Now anyone dealing with media has to be there.”  He adds that convergence has finally taken hold,, with the barriers between fixed and mobile rapidly merging. Omniscreen’s IPTV platform support streaming to all mobile devices.