What are the latest mobile video trends for 2019?

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On April 11, the Mobile Video Industry Council (MOVIC) will host an exclusive Livecast for mobile operators to discuss the latest mobile video trends. Register now to be a part of this and to gain insight from the mobile video industry’s brightest minds.

It is a critical moment for the industry. As commercial 5G networks continue turning up throughout 2019 and beyond, they will have tremendous impact for a number of applications, but none more so than for mobile video. Our research shows that mobile video usage has grown 50-60 percent for the past five years, especially in locales that lack fixed-line alternatives or competitive data plan pricing. Moreover, operators face a two-fold problem from video traffic: encryption, which generally applies to between 65 to 95 percent of total traffic depending upon geography, and the inability to control data on their networks.

These findings are at the core of this year’s Mobile Video Index (MVI) report, which is based on input from the MOVIC. At this inaugural one-day event, 15 mobile operators from around the globe and several OTT players provided input to identify what’s really happening with mobile video on 4G today, as well as how 5G will impact mobile video. The insight from this report will be discussed during the Livecast and will be available to attendees.

What in the MVI?

The MVI begins by providing a comprehensive 365-degree view of the current state of mobile video, including what’s driving growth, the impact of unpredictable traffic patterns and how quality of experience (QoE) impacts the mobile viewing experience. It also includes input from ABI Research and Analysys Mason, both of which chaired roundtables at the event, examining ways in which 5G isn’t just another “G,” as well as the deployment and monetization strategies that work best in a 5G world. Additionally, it includes exclusive content from the angle of OTT providers and how they intersect with mobile operators.

By taking an overall snapshot of the state of mobile video in 2019, the report sheds light on significant issues that operators must address now to ensure the quality of experience (QoE) needed for mobile video on their existing 4G networks, as well as their 5G network buildouts. Specifically, quality of delivery (QoD) is identified as the most important factor in the minds of consumers despite questions that exist over whether consumers really see a difference between standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) on mobile devices. In fact, research shows that more than 70 percent of videos are perceived to be higher in quality than they actually are, largely because consumers expect improved quality based on advertised pixel rates. These false perceptions about mobile video quality introduce interesting options for mobile carriers, including the ability to manage peaks on the network for specific events.

The report also examines why and how 5G will transform mobile video, acknowledging early on that early 5G deployments are, in essence, mobile broadband deployments that are being positioned with the promise of faster mobile networks with higher capacity and lower latency. The new service and monetization strategies that 5G promises through network slicing and operator-managed 5G service platforms won’t be possible for at least a year, and probably won’t become a reality until at least 2021.

Nevertheless, operators already have tremendous potential that can be realized by providing mobile video, which already accounts for 60 percent of all mobile data. As 5G comes on line, it will support new service platforms and network slicing, both of which hold tremendous promise for operators. However, those operators also will be faced with a number of key challenges:

• 5G will be the first iteration of mobile network that is in the cloud
• 5G enables more granularity in service prioritization and network appropriation
• 5G will stimulate new user experiences

To fully recognize these benefits and more, operators must evolve and differentiate, taking advantage of 5G’s new application programming interfaces (APIs), which support both in-house and outsourced software development, as well as their own network automation platforms. A key advantage that operators have in the 5G race is that they still have access to every detail of every subscriber, and consumers trust them more than they trust OTTs.

Join the Conversation

As such, the report encourages operators to continue to develop strategies that address OTT content. It examines why operators should strategize for future content and advertising, ways to develop strategic relationships with OTTs, and the new OTT strategies coming in the future, including:

• Understanding the difference between brand ads and direct response ads
• Taking advantage of the opportunity that exists for premium video services
• Building a strategy to make wireless networks stickier to consumers
• Taking advantage of video made for mobile, which recently has generated US $1 billion in funding.

Register for the Livecast and arm yourself with the information you need to prepare your network now, as well as for 5G buildouts. Learn where the greatest value propositions are for 5G mobile video and prepare now for challenges 5G creates.