Qualcomm's (NASDAQ:QCOM) broadcast TV technology known as MediaFLO may not be a bust after all.
During the company's IQ 2010 event in London, the company said it is now looking at using MediaFLO for data casting, meaning the technology could offload regular network traffic and reduce network congestion--one of the key issues network operators are grappling with.
Qualcomm is studying MediaFLO's usefulness in maintaining cached data on mobile devices. That means a smartphone or tablet itself could reduce the amount of data traffic it needs, and therefore cutting costs and network use. Such a capability would also speed up browsing and a more efficient way of sharing frequently updated cache with multiple devices.
Qualcomm hasn't given any guidance on when the technology could show up in mobile devices.
The news comes as a Japanese advisory panel said it favors operator giant NTT DoCoMo's proposal to run a next-generation mobile broadcasting service based on ISDB-Tmm technology, shooting down carrier KDDI's rival plan powered by Qualcomm's MediaFLO solution.
Qualcomm revealed in July that it is in negotiations to divest its FLO TV mobile broadcast unit, admitting consumer adoption has failed to meet expectations. Chairman and CEO Paul Jacobs has said the company is exploring "a number of alternatives" for FLO TV, including discussions with prospective partners.
For more:
- see this Slashgear article
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Japan regulators favor ISDB-Tmm, not MediaFLO, for mobile TV
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