Is the TV screen becoming a part of the PC? This certainly seems close enough to the truth in case of home PCs and mobile PCs (read: cellphones).

But then, who in 1999, could have imagined that the cellphone would become a mobile PC ? And that its screen would be used to view television broadcast?

Digital Multimedia Broadcast (DMB)
The age of digital content is upon us! So the time seems right for DMB - the process of broadcasting digital multimedia content over the Internet or satellite, to be 'played back' on compatible multimedia player software.

A single digital multimedia broadcast can be sent to thousands of players, each of who can play back the content after customizing to its local needs. This is one of the greatest advantages of multimedia broadcasting over traditional video broadcasting.

DMB's capability of providing high quality audio and video content, makes it the preferred technology behind personalized broadcasting (narrowcasting) service, including the mobile TV broadcasting service.

DMB services can deliver diverse content like video clips, music & text, to mobile or fixed terminals including mobile phones, PDAs or portable TVs.

And finally, DMB is expected to evolve into a universal service with immense influence over content development.

The Wirefree World - On Steroids!
Mobile PCs, mobile messaging, mobile emails, mobile wallets and mobile TVs. The wirefree world is ever expanding!

And as if developments were not fast enough, the recent (2003) technology called Wi-Fi (short for wireless fidelity) is rapidly evolving to WiMAX (short for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) - wireless technology for Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) broadband connectivity - also known as "WiFi on steroids" !

Since telecom service providers survive on total number of users & average revenue per user (ARPU), growth is expected from increasing gross ARPU. Today, the saturation point of ARPU from voice communications business is becoming visible. Therefore it is clear that the next big opportunity for growth is point-to-point data transfer. And DMB makes it possible to extend the concept of data to media content (television, radio, video).

No wonder fixed-line & mobile telecom operators are in a mad scramble to offer services which are connected with data transfer - services like DSL, Broadband, 2.5G, 3G, Mobile TV, IP TV, WiFi & WiMAX.

The Last Mile Problem
One of the most widely accepted problems in broadband is the 'last mile problem'. This refers to the difficulties faced in reaching the end-user's home or office.

Currently, cable and DSL broadband access services are the most common solution to the 'last mile problem'. But these have limitations in both features as well as deployment. (This is clear from the fact that there are a large number of areas that have no access to broadband.) The wired broadband connection provided by cable and DSL is an expensive process, requiring heavy investments. For example, DSL can reach 5 km from the central switch. While many cable networks do not have high bandwidth cables. (Some older cable networks may not have a return channel, required to support high-speed broadband.) And replacing cables is a time-consuming, capital-intensive proposition.

WiMAX-based systems can be used to transmit signals as far as 50 km. So WiMAX could become a solution to the "last-mile" problem.

What Next ?
Get ready for digital multimedia broadcasts. Coming soon to a TV set, cellphone, digital Cinema, PC monitor near you. Via the Internet, satellite, cellphone. Via cable. Or Via DSL.