Vertical Separation and Apps
I was thinking the other day how the new model of "apps" may trigger the so called vertical separation between content providers and carriers...
Guess what? The model is pretty much on its way. No regulation was needed. I (and yourself and everybody) may now downolad an app (content) from our mobile device without any apparent "authorization" or "approval" from our mobile carrier.
As long as the app developer has managed to make it through apple (iphone) or RIM (blackberry)or anyother, we may have the content or app we want.
Competition, again, is the key issue. Competition in the app market is pretty much guaranteed. There are thousands of app developers. Competition in the devices market that allow the apps to run should not become a bottle neck. Innovation is there. Besides BB and iPhone, Motorola, Nokia, Sony Ericcson may all compete and provide a more vigorous app market.
Competition in carriers...mmm there is plenty of room for improvement, but as long as they do not intervene in deciding what kind of apps may or may not be downloaded things will find their way.
The access market is still an issue. That is where regulators should participate. Then I should get back to work... Before that..
Convergence and the Apple TV (or the like)
Another issue for vertical separation. Since iTunes (an a few others)is a legal and accepted mean for downloading content I foresee for tv as we know it now to radically change in the near future.
It is well known that VoD (video on demand) is becoming more popular. The logic is pretty simple people want to watch what they want to watch when they want to. Perhaps only sports will become time sensitive..and news. Then why hire 200 channels if we are not going to watch them all the time.
If universal access to broadband becomes a reality and broadband speed increases, no one will have an incentive to subscribe to any pay tv offer. Why? What is that you want to watch? A movie? Choose it from iTunes (and probably from another platform) pay for it and download it, then use a device like apple TV (I do not work for apple ok?) and watch it on your tv set at your convenience. A soap opera? A drama or comedy series? Act accordingly.
News? Try youtube or perhaps all of the information and interactive news available in the Internet not only from big broadcasting corporations but also from independent means that are available in the Internet.
a Football match?... If broadband speed increases you may be able to watch it online.
Who wants to go to blockbuster anymore! Or to hire expensive pay tv packages... or even make a phone call (oops) through the PSTN?
I ll better go back to work.
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1 comment:
Innovation comes more from a breakup of the telecommunication service value chain than from iniative of carriers. The more breakable is that value chain the more innovation we´ll see pass in front of our door, MVNOs is the best example to that.
In order for MVNOs to succed they need to differenciate, they only will achieve it as they are able to innovate any activity within the value chain.
In the mobile business, more than other in these days, deverticalization of the whole value chain has lead to a new breed of providers, from very, very thin MVNOs to Cloud based MVNEs and the sort.
I think Apple is the best example of that new form of making business over mobile devices using broadband access (and I don´t work for Apple either).
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