DoCoMo launches streaming platform, announces delay

DoCoMo is predicting serious delays to the video streaming capability on its third-generation FOMA 3G service. Although it has developed a streaming platform specifically for FOMA with PacketVideo, the functionality expected to be the biggest hit with consumers has been pushed back.

Keiji Tachikawa, DoCoMo president, said certain handset functions required for music and video services would not be available by October. He added that the connection time for video streaming services would be 'very long - so this is a problem.'

This announcement is the latest in a long line of statements from the leading operators and analysts suggesting a collapsing business case for third-generation wireless services. The price of handsets, data connections and content have all contributed to market pessimism over the value of 3G.

Wireless LANs, Bluetooth and GPRS have all been touted as 3G-killers, as they all offer connection speeds fast enough to deliver streaming video, generally regarded as the holy grail of future mobile services. Operators fought to sign deals with TV stations and media companies ensuring they owned compelling enough content to offer to their subscribers at higher rates for data transfer.

NTT DoCoMo and PacketVideo developed the technology that will provide live video streaming to customers of DoCoMo's forthcoming FOMA 3G service. The Japanese telco's FOMA Live-Video Distribution Platform, uses MPEG-4 streaming technology, which DoCoMo claims will enable it to stream video to wireless handhelds as well as compliant handsets.

The company said it will set up a consortium of 32 organisations to conduct trials of the technology. The group also will develop and study new applications for the video delivery system and will determine whether the service is marketable. The field trials will start on 1st October and run through until next year.

FOMA, or Freedom of Mobile multimedia Access, is DoCoMo's name for its 3G service. Already active in a few test sites in Japan, FOMA has achieved data delivery speeds of 384kbps compared to current wireless access speed of 9.6kbps.

The delay is another blow for an industry that has so far looked to Japan for guidance in the technology, infrastructure and marketing challenges in kick-starting the leading-edge m-commerce services.

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