New technology could make mobile TV more accessible and affordable

Mobile TV as a concept has struggled to ignite enthusiasm so far, but a new broadcasting technology could soon enable hyper-local news flashes, automatic downloads, full-time TV channels and multi-cast streaming at sporting events.

Past failures of mobile TV suggested that few want to pay a subscription fee for mobile access to the same TV channels they already watch (and pay for) at home, but this new attempt - which debuted in January in South Korea - uses a low-bandwidth - hence low-cost alternative technology. Although it's only available in certain parts of the country, the Olleh LTE Play service from Korea Telecom allows users to watch HDTV on a mobile device without putting much extra strain on mobile networks.

There are a couple of caveats. For now it only works on a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 device via an app especially created by KT and Samsung. Olleh LTE Play is also only available to subscribers to KT's LTE Advanced service.

However, the technology behind it has a distinctly universal appeal that's looking good for mass adoption in the long term. It's called LTE Broadcast, and it comes from Qualcomm, whose Snapdragon 800 processor graces almost all high-end Android-based smartphones and tablets.

More importantly, there is no data fee to watch the two HDTV channels that make up Olleh LTE Play, which is an industry first.

"The tech is seamlessly integrated into the LTE standard so the carrier doesn't have to have a dedicated radio network or dedicate any radio spectrum to this service," says Peter Carson, senior director of marketing at Qualcomm. Carson says that many mobile devices can be upgraded with LTE Broadcast capability - it's up to the carrier and the device manufacturers.

Unlike previous attempts at mobile TV, which all required a separate link between phone and a server, LTE Broadcast is a one-to-many delivery mechanism that sends out content en masse from each cell tower in the network. Content can be sent simultaneously to multiple phones without any disruption to the network.