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Mobile media and entertainment services

Objective

The project objective is to demonstrate the technical feasibility and business viability of a wireless media highway for the distribution of advanced multimedia products. The project will:
contribute significantly to the understanding of users' perception of the value of wireless multimedia services
identify how commercial exploitation of the services using third generation systems can be accelerated
create new enabling technologies, in particular for the presentation of visual material
assess by qualitative and quantitative means the feasibility and velocity of electronic money transfers during the trials
make valuable contribution to standardisation.
The objectives of the project are reflected in the final project outputs, which are:
a comprehensive evaluation of the complete business chain for interactive, wireless multimedia services
business plans for commercial services for all players in this market
recommendations for regulatory, legal and commercial practices and structures which will encourage service take up, usage and exploitation
contribution to the standardisation work for the optimisation of multimedia, UMTS and GSM standards for interactive wireless services.

The main achievements reached until now are:
* the configuration for the Service Platform has been defined, and the HW and the SW for the Basic Service Platform and terminals for 100 end-users have been delivered and installed to each trial network
* preparations for the Service Trials, including the setting-up of the operating and supporting organisations, have been completed, and the feedback process has been defined
* customer surveys on multimedia services were carried out in each trial country, and the Service Description (Issue 2) document was released based on the results from the surveys
* basic and enhanced versions of de/compression and presentation tools for the audio-visual and graphical & animation material have been developed
* contributions to standardisation bodies (ITU-T and MPEG4) have been submitted regarding the video coding schemes
* the Payment System architecture has been defined, and the components of the architecture (SIM/E-purse, Client Payment System application, Payment Server application, PSO application) have been developed and the integration of the Payment System has been initiated
* Service Trials have been initiated.
Expected Impact
This project will contribute towards maintaining Europe's lead in wireless communications systems and media content provision. Mobile multimedia services will generate an estimated incremental annual revenue of 5000 MECU per annum by 2005 for a broad range of players. New employment opportunities will be created in equipment and terminal manufacturing, media content supply and manipulation, and network service provision.
The availability of information services through wireless networks will assist the development of teleworking, and therefore will have a favourable impact on employment, transportation patterns and the environment.

Main contributions to the programme objectives:
Main deliverables
The technical feasibility and business viability of wireless communications for the distribution of advanced multimedia products. A client-server platform was developed and tested in end-user trials in 3 existing GSM networks in Europe, as well as a high speed 2G+ GSM demonstrator (HSCSD) in a laboratory environment.
Contribution to the programme
The complete business chain from content creation to delivery and secure payment was developed and trialed, demonstrating the "business -case" for mobile multimedia communications.
Technical Approach
Based on the studies of user requirements, service platform architectures, compression and presentation technologies, a client-server based service platform will be implemented and tested in genuine end-user trials. The APIs for the service feeding and electronic payment functions will be included in the implementation. System enhancements will be developed and demonstrated in the Technical Demonstrator to assess the benefits of wider band user channels and determine how they can be incorporated into UMTS.

The following new technologies will be investigated and applied in the project:
presentation technologies, optimised for the inherently narrowband cellular user channels
for optimal server connectivity, an enhanced direct LAN access solution allowing the distribution platform to access the wireless network on a LAN-to-LAN basis
electronic payment techniques allowing automatic charging for information downloaded by the user with minimum financial overhead
wide band user channels allowing transmission rates of the third generation mobile systems (n x 9600 bit/s, n >= 2).
Summary of Trial
Genuine end-user trials will conducted in parallel in three different countries on a commercial-like basis using operational personal telecommunications networks and clearing/interchange networks. These will allow the realistic assessment of wireless multimedia services and verification of the identified business opportunities.
Two different strategies for media content provisioning will be employed. One is based on adjusting the existing information feed as necessary to allow the automatic loading of the media server with content. The other is based on genuine editing of media content in the same way as a publication would be edited.

During the service trials all necessary data will be collected to allow a comprehensive analysis including an examination of user acceptance of the selected applications, a technical and commercial assessment, and the preparation of the business plans.
Key Issues
Identification of the user groups for the service trials, and the requirements for new services in mobile environment
Definition of the new competitive applications
Definition and implementation of the user-friendly electronic payment system
Definition of long and short term very low-bit-rate coding algorithms
Establishing and operating the service trials on a commercial-like basis
Definition and implementation of the Technology Demonstrator based on new emerging standards.

Call for proposal

Data not available

Coordinator

Nokia Telecomunnications Oy
EU contribution
No data
Address

00045 Helsinki
Finland

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Total cost
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Participants (10)