Convergence In Action

One of the first products to be created aligned to the 21st century network (21CN) capabilities, BT’s broadcast digital TV-to-mobile service, BT Movio – formerly known as BT Livetime – has successfully completed its pilot and will be launched later this year. The pilot of 1,000 users within the M25 demonstrated clear consumer demand for broadcast digital TV and radio to mobile phones.

BT Movio has been created around the “content processing” capability which takes a videostream from the relevant source and repurposes the content for its intended recipient, be that television, internet or telephone. In BT Movio’s case, that is a newly created mobile phone handset.

BT Movio Director of Operations, David Crawford, said: “21CN is not just about physical kit. It’s about using common designs and interfaces in products and services which we can then sell to BT Wholesale customers. BT Movio was specifically created to align with these principles.”

The BT Movio pilot – the largest of its kind undertaken in Europe – revealed that two thirds of customers would be prepared to pay up to £8/month for the service on their current mobile network, creating new revenue streams for mobile operators.

It intends to be the first wholesale mobile broadcast entertainment service to launch in the UK and will enable operators to offer consumers a simple to use and reliable digital TV and radio service. The service is broadcast using the Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) network and is navigated through the world’s first implementation of DAB delivered electronic programme guide (EPG) on a mobile TV phone. Unlike other mobile TV services, BT Movio’s use of a broadcast platform allows multiple users to access services at the same time without a reduction in quality.

The majority of pilot users said that they would consider upgrading their mobile phone to one which supports the service. 73% of participants stated that they would be prepared to pay for the service on their current network if the service was priced competitively. 38% were prepared to switch networks to receive this service.

More than three quarters of the pilot users tuned into digital TV and radio on their mobile on a weekly basis or more often, with the average length of TV viewing being more than one hour per week. A large proportion of pilot users stated that they want up to five types of mobile TV channels including a combination of news, sport, comedy, sitcoms and music.

Digital radio also proved to be extremely popular with pilot users tuning in on average for over one and a half hours every week. By introducing listeners to new digital radio channels on their mobile, more users have been encouraged to listen to digital radio in their car and at home which will prove a boost for the UK’s digital radio industry.

Emma Lloyd, Managing Director, BT Movio said: “It is clear from the very positive feedback we have had from the pilot that BT Movio will be in high demand from mobile users and operators alike. We are in commercial discussions with mobile operators about launching a consumer service after the launch of the wholesale service later this year.”

BT Movio also complements 3G based mobile TV offerings, allowing unlimited users access to live broadcasts on multiple digital TV and radio channels.

Emma Lloyd said: “As the popularity of mobile TV grows, the UK will need a broadcast delivery mechanism. Delivered via the UK’s only national commercial DAB network – available right now – BT Movio will be the first “one to many” broadcast service to deliver live TV to UK mobile users.”

Graeme Hutchinson, Sales & Marketing Director of Virgin Mobile, said: "We're really excited about digital mobile TV. It offers consumers the opportunity to stay tuned to their favorite programmes – wherever they are – and to watch them in a new, convenient and exciting way.

"Digital Mobile TV is one of the most consumer-friendly developments ever seen in the mobile industry – everyone watches TV – and with BT Movio, Virgin Mobile can offer a service that includes all that's brilliant about modern digital television, such as a personal electronic programme guide, on a mobile phone."

BT Movio is a converged triple play service supporting phone calls, internet and TV.