Ericsson has partnered with Mozambican operator mcel and mobile television services provider DStv Mobile to launch Africa’s first mobile TV service in Mozambique that will stream content directly to consumer’s handsets over different operating systems.
It will enable mcel’s 6-million subscribers with compatible devices to access a variety of content on-the-go including sport, news, music, general entertainment and children’s programming.
Using Ericsson’s Content Delivery Server (ECDS), mcel can stream content directly to consumer’s handsets over different operating systems. The billing for this service is integrated into mcel’s current billing system.
One of the barriers that mobile operators have faced in deploying mobile TV solutions has been the bottleneck that video content creates in the networks due to the size of the files. This added demand on the networks required operators to make prohibitively expensive investments to improve network capacity, which bumped up the prices of service.
Ericsson’s solution addresses this issue by adding additional functionality of adaptive streaming which aligns transmission of content to network capacity. This means that mcel is able to deliver video content at different quality levels depending on the capacity available across the network. This solution also allows a minimum quality level to ensure that customer experience is not compromised.
Ericsson has provided the platform and infrastructure to anchor mobile TV and DStv Mobile will provide the programming and media content that is expected to create a true end-to-end service to consumers.
Henri Zeitsman, country manager of Ericsson Mozambique, comments: “The historic launch of mobile TV in Mozambique is testament to Ericsson’s unique leadership position in the convergence of media and telecoms. We are confident that we have the capability, best practise and technical expertise to successfully deploy mobile TV in Mozambique.
“The growth of smarter devices has caused an exponential growth of data use in the region. This has opened a whole new world of possibilities when it comes to viewing TV and video. Today people are able to take their entertainment with them around the house and beyond and we believe this will have immense benefits for all involved.”
Benjamim Fernandes, mcel marketing director, says mobile TV will revolutionise how customer consume media content and will enhance their user experience.
“As the country’s leading mobile operator, we are delighted to be the first operator to offer this value added service to our growing subscribers. We believe that this service will enhance our customer’s user experience and enrich their interface with our offerings.
“Mobile TV will change the landscape and redefine how our subscribers consume media content. Television is a source of both entertainment and education, and we are pleased to be the catalyst of this mobile revolution.”
Eduardo Continentino GM of MultiChoice Mozambique, adds: “This venture allows DStv Mobile to extend MultiChoice’s rich content beyond the conventional realm of the television set in Mozambique. Mobile television is proving to be popular and growing steadily on the continent.
“The ubiquity of cell phones will ensure that millions of subscribers will have access to world-class content in sport, news, music, general entertainment and children’s programming in the palm of their hands.”