Increasing video consumption across mobile networks

Circa December 2006, January 2007 and most importantly, pre-iPhone (I knew where the trends were going). My travel companion for watching videos, using the Internet and (something that still can't be done easily - backing up files from my camera on …

Circa December 2006, January 2007 and most importantly, pre-iPhone (I knew where the trends were going). My travel companion for watching videos, using the Internet and (something that still can't be done easily - backing up files from my camera on to the main hard drive of the Archos 604 Wifi, and then copying another version of it onto a secondary portable drive.

"Each day, 20 per cent of mobile subscribers worldwide access video from sites such as YouTube, Netflix and DailyMotion, according to the latest Mobile Analytics Report from mobile management firm Citrix.
Video generates around 42 per cent of daily data traffic volume on any given mobile network, compared to 10 per cent for social networking, 9 per cent for adult content, 6 per cent for news and information, and 1 per cent for shopping.
However, the growth of 4G, which offers data download speeds that are on average five times faster than 3G, is prompting mobile subscribers to watch video more often, for longer, and at a higher resolution."

From The Telegraph.

People have been watching video online as long as the internet as existed on dial-up (amusing memories of myself in the mid-90's trying to pull down some match-boxed size video that still probably took a few minutes!) so as speeds increase, it's only expected that people will watch more video. But the experience has to be seamless however up until 3G (in it's later incarnations) the speed/capacity wasn't always there meaning it would only lead to frustration for non-technical users. Now with fixed-line class speeds via 4G, watching them by any means possible will be the norm.

Other factors: I'd suggest other reasons for this - screen sizes are slowly increasing (with Apple seemingly making the jump this year also) making it easier to enjoy video on a small screen, and more and more people making recordings of their own as acceptance/traction gains (with new apps such as Instagram's Timelapse pushing more and more people towards video as a differentiator).

 

Personally, I start a lot of videos on my mobile device while at home, but watch them on a big monitor using AirPlay (with an Apple TV hooked up to it). Unless I'm traveling of course, where any sized screen will do :)

What do you think?

Neal McQuaid