Communiqué de presse

ART publishes a technical and economic progress report on mobile multimedia services

Paris, 3 October 2003

Autorité de régulation des télécommunications (ART) has made public a study of the prospects of new mobile multimedia services. The study, conducted by Analysys, examines the degree of advancement of the development of these services from an economic and technical viewpoint.

There are currently many ways of accessing mobile multimedia. This study focuses on the following services:

  • interpersonal communications (multimedia messaging, instant messaging, e-mail, etc)

  • communications with a machine

  • navigation (portals, kiosks, i-mode, operator portals, etc.)

These new uses generate complex value chains as well as major segmentation.

To access mobile multimedia services, whether content, applications or multimedia messages, users need a compatible terminal with a SIM card and an operating system, as well as browser software or a messaging client. The market for this software is currently highly segmented.

GPRS, a data transport service on GSM networks, is a factor for the development of these mobile multimedia services. UMTS should not significantly change the models in place. On the contrary, the development of mobile multimedia services on UMTS should depend to a large extent on the success of these services on GPRS.

All these ingredients for the development of mobile multimedia services are present along the entire value chain. The market is currently in the structuring phase, with competition among players to control as large a share as possible of the value created. Market developments are essential for the future development of services on UMTS.