[Ben]

After reading this thread (https://talk3g.co.uk/showthread.php?t=616) I found myself wondering what exactly content is? What do we expect from 'content'?

Please vote in the poll and leave a message with further details if necessary.

Cheers!
Ben

[@NickyColman]

I voted FUN ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING AND SERVICES however, I do think that content shouldnt be the be-all and end-all of an operator!

For months now, even after the introduction of 3G, content has yet to inspire or interest me! It seems every operator seems to be doing the run-of-the-mill 30 second clip of your favourite celebrity. Now while these clips are obviously of interest to some people, i dont beleive they will sustain the operators in the long run. Content is currently mind numblingly boring on the whole! I think big names such as Discovery Channel and the BBC need to be introduced! There is sooo much potential in content!

The amount of things that could be done with content:

*Hit40uk - a live streaming of the show would draws 1000s to it!
*Discovery Channel - live documentaries would attract an older audience with downloadable clips also
*Online Gaming - self explanitory
*Forums
*A network-only tv show! Just a general entertainment show, broadcast daily at 5 oclock.
*BBC Bitesize would be a good idea educational wise. A downloadable or streamable clip with general questions for GCSE age children!

The possibilities are potentially endless!

I think in order to really find the perfect content is to go back to the very concept of the mobile itself - interaction and communication!

They are the fundimentals of how the mobile and why the mobile came to be such an important tool of modern life! The internet boomed because of the idea of free speech and interaction!

If mobile operators can capture that idea and find a way of creating a content that would match then i think they will be onto a winner! Untill then, i think we will be stuck with 30second rubbish!

[davidlove]

Perhaps my previous post re "content" helped inspire Ben to start this thread, so I'll try to avoid repetition.

Cell phones (certainly the devices discussed on Talk3G) are just small computers. So I define content as being anything and everything you can access on a regular computer, but smaller.

Given the obvious physical limitations in terms of screen size and navigation, the only other constraint is that of speed. And, just like when dial-up gave way to broadband, content follows speed. That's why mobile TV is 3G flavour of the month.

The question is, who should provide it? On my PC, it's very simple; my hardware supplier provides the machine and OS, my ISP provides the access technology and everyone else who wants to provides content.

So, if phones are just little computers, why should they work any differently? In my case, hardware from Nokia (SIM free), access from Voda (flat rate billing), content (free or subscription) from third parties.

[Hands0n]

I voted that Content is something the networks should leave to third parties. Simply because I don't think that a mobile operator really has much of a clue about Content (with the big C). That is abundantly clear by what is on offer to date.

When it was low speed data (i.e. WAP and early GPRS) the bandwidth limited what content could be provided, fair enough. Besides which, accessing content was a completely new phenomena for the mobile handset.

Time moves on, 3G arrives, more bandwidth and what do they fill it with? Dross of the first order! Why? Because really the mobile ops do not know what entertains us wholesale, and why should they? They are not content producers or broadcasters - that is the stuff of the BBC, ITV and the like. Past masters at producing and transmitting Content.

I really like Bleubean's notion of TV channels and Forums and davidlove hits the nail on the head re ISP status of the mobile op.

3G, courtesy of the mobile ops, has created a suitable delivery channel for Content - now they really need to facilitate the true Content creators to use the channel to deliver the Content to the punters. Of course they'll charge for it and make the buck they want, that is entirely reasonable. But perleeeze give it a rest with this current crop of rubbish that is out there. At the risk of repetition :) apart from Music videos and News there is little to no Content that enthuses me at all.

The mobile ops would claim that it is their train set to do with what they like. Well, yes, it is in fact. But if they want us to buy into it they may like to look to self de-regulation before HMG sets its beady eyes on it.