| Whatever happens, something like 40 to 50 MHz of spectrum could be | made over to video services and that could provide something like 200 | mobile TV channels.
Good thing they are not expecting high definition on these mobile devices. But 200 to 250 kHz per channel could easily do standard definition with advanced compression technology. Or they coould back down things that mobile users tend not to need, like cutting the frame rate in half. And much of this depends on power levels and noise levels. Given enough power (which is a form of redundancy) you can get lots of bandwidth into a given fixed spectrum. But there isn't a lot of power hitting the antenna of a mobile user when the transmitter is 10 miles away. How many megawatts would these WiMAX transmitters be allowed to operate at?
| However, Sprint is known to be interested in offering full screen TV | across the network, to extend the reach of the cable operators, and | it wouldn?t be a big surprise if the network had something like 20 to | 30 channels of full screen TV broadcast on it, as well as 50 channels | of mobile TV as well, and that should all fit comfortably into the | Sprint spectrum and still leave plenty over to offer advanced data | services, voice communications and roaming internet access.
What do you mean by full screen? 480i30 or 1080p60?
| Whatever happens, this contract will put WiMAX on the map and secure | its future globally, it will drive a stake into the heart of the | moribund US telcos and it will catapult Motorola into the top flight | of network equipment makers.
I do look forward to that. I'm still concerned that it will just become another content controller ("sorry, if you want that channel you will have to subscribe to tier II and tier II first even though they are full of channels you have no interest in").
In the arena of TV broadcast, cable and satellite providers are still locking themselves out of a lot of sales because of their tiered sales structure. And broadcast (free OTA) TV? All but PBS is junk now days, and even PBS is migrating to junk more and more (I've quit donating to them because of that).
To the extent WiMAX will provide voluntary net-neutrality access and ala-carte programming, I think it could really tear into all the other markets.