Mobile Video Usage in Italy to Rise to 5.1M in 2015

The number of mobile-phone users in Italy that access video
content through their handsets is expected to rise up to 5.1 million by
2015, at least this is what a recently published report from technology
and media specialist Coda Research Consultancy shows. Moreover, the
firm also forecasts that the revenues in the segment are set for
growth, reaching US$685 million by that time.

The report
from Coda, focused on the Italian TV market, also unveils the fact that
the number of mobile-phone users that will be accessing TV content from
their devices is to double by 2015, when DVB-H alone is taken into
consideration. Currently, there are around 1.2 million users in the
country that enjoy this option, yet the number should reach 2.5 million
in six years.

“In part this is due to how
Europeans fit their mobile phones into their everyday lives,” Steve
Smith, the report’s author, explains. “People tend to use their phones
for video, games, texting, social networking and so on when they are
between spaces and events, such as when commuting or meeting friends.
In Japan and South Korea, where mobile TV penetration is significantly higher,
people spend a lot more time commuting on public transport and so have
more time available. The streaming or broadcast of live TV simply
doesn’t fit the European consumer. This is one example of how operators
and broadcasters aren’t providing the kinds of video content and
services mobile users actually want.”

One of the main reasons for which the access of mobile
TV services is poised for growth is the 2010 World Cup, the firm
states, based on the fact that the same happened in 2006. The regular
usage of these services, Coda says, should reach 1.6 million by the end
of 2010. Even so, Steve Smith says that the adoption of mobile TV in Italy hasn't managed to meet expectations.

Moreover, the firm also states
that another area poised for growth is that of video downloads on
handsets and laptops via 3G. “Our research with iPhone users shows that
downloading content allows people much greater control over their
viewing experiences and the kinds of content they view. But content
owners and service providers must provide more opportunities for users to do this,” Steve explains.