Digital Lifescapes

Many nations across the globe are eager to welcome additional, readily available and competitively priced, broadband internet access services. The Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) market is expanding to fulfill the demand for high-speed broadband connectivity for both business and consumer segments. Fifth-generation (5G) FWA, a powerful platform providing an alternative broadband service offering, will be accelerating the FWA market. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, the FWA market will exceed 180 million subscriptions and generate $70 billion in revenue in 2026. The 5G FWA market will then account for 40 percent of the total global FWA market. 5G Wireless Broadband Market Development Since 5G deployments continue to accelerate, operators are taking advantage of the 5G technology to provide high-capacity FWA services. High-speed and low latency supported by 5G networks enable providers to offer an attractive alternative to fixed broadband services in the areas ...

One of the key principles that has enabled global wireless telecom network connectivity is the development and implementation of technology standards. As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to evolve, new standards will set the stage for market development to blossom. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, new 3GPP IoT standards will account for more than 50 percent of cellular IoT radio node unit shipments by 2021. Moreover, Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) is forecast to consume more than 70 percent of Release 13 shipments and more than one third of all cellular IoT shipments -- a value which is greater than legacy M2M or the current Cat-1 standard. 4G LTE Mobile Network Standards  "While some in the industry view the new 3GPP standards as competitors to the current non-3GPP LPWA technologies and predict their demise, we believe that NB-IoT will complement LPWA," said Nick Marshall, research director at ABI Research . However, ABI analysts belie...

comScore released a report highlighting the results from a recent market study that identifies the unique characteristics of the Millennial generation -- defined as persons born between 1981 and 2000. The study examined the Millennial response to different types of advertising, including TV and digital -- compared to older generations -- and how marketers can most effectively target this large and important segment of the marketplace. "The 79 million Millennials in the U.S. have an estimated purchasing power of $170 billion per year, making them a highly attractive segment for brands to target," said comScore vice president Bert Miklosi. Their comfort-level with the Internet and new technology in general makes the digital medium an ideal platform for reaching these individuals. But Millennials are much more difficult to persuade with advertising -- especially the poorly conceived ads that you typically find on broadcast radio and TV channels. Key findings from the co...

There are numerous proven alternatives for marketers to reach and engage their target stakeholders in the marketplace, yet many still choose to invest their marketing budget primarily in traditional media -- regardless of the underwhelming results. What's the forward-looking trend for U.S. advertising spending, and is that insight likely to influence the behavior of those schooled in legacy marketing methods? Will status-quo marketing practices prevail? eMarketer reports that after plunging by 18.5 percent in 2009, ad spending on traditional media is on a slow rebound. They estimate spending was up 2.1 percent in 2010, to $127.2 billion. But rather than making a true recovery, spending is forecast to fluctuate in coming years, hovering under $130 billion through 2015 -- far from the $165.94 billion recorded in 2007. "As advertiser spending continues to more closely reflect the amount of attention consumers give to individual media, each will fare differently," s...

Online advertising was predicted to gain share of U.S. marketer spending by more than 10 percentage points between 2009 and 2015. However, the current spending on digital media -- including internet and mobile -- has not yet risen significantly, according to the latest assessment by eMarketer . Among the major media of television, internet, radio, mobile, newspapers and magazines, U.S. adults still spend the most time each day with TV. eMarketer estimates adults watched television for 42.9 percent of the time they spent each day with those media in 2010, and ad dollars align closely, at 42.7 percent. The internet, by contrast, took up 25.2 percent of U.S. adult daily media time in 2010, but received just 18.7 percent of marketer's ad budget. "Those of us focused on the internet channel have complained for years that it hasn't been getting its fair share of media dollars based on time spent," said eMarketer CEO Geoff Ramsey. "However, the precise extent of ...

If you really like banal auto dealership commercials, then you would enjoy the typical American broadcast radio station. However, eMarketer reports that a recent Edison Research study highlights the trends in media usage among U.S. teens and young adults -- the results aren't encouraging for legacy marketers. Waking up to the radio was a routine for this young demographic a decade ago, but usage has sharply declined. Also, as many young people have reduced their traditional media use, the Internet has replaced much of that activity. The trend is apparent in total time spent with various media. In 2000, teens and young adults were spending close to 2 hours and 45 minutes listening to broadcast radio each day. By 2010 it had fallen to an hour and a half. In contrast, time spent online had risen from an hour a day to almost 3 hours. Alternative music listening services have also emerged. In 2010, 36 percent of consumers surveyed by Bridge Ratings ages 12 and over had listene...

Social media offers marketers a new channel to potentially engage their prospective customers, but does not replace the reach and trust found with more traditional media channels -- such as broadcast TV and radio -- according to the latest market study by Vision Critical . They have examined the growing use of online social networks, which they believe reveals several key implications for marketers. Their reported findings were based on three waves of research and more than 10,000 interviews with respondents in the United States, Britain and Canada. The key findings from the Vision Critical study include: Trust Remains an Issue on Social Networks Across the three countries, seven-in-ten respondents who use social networks on a daily basis are concerned about their privacy. Less than one-in-six expressed trust in online social networks, forums and blogs -- compared to one third for radio, television and online news. The implication: about two-thirds of those surveyed don't ...

According to eMarketer , the U.S. terrestrial radio industry is in deep financially trouble. Many of the country's largest national broadcasters are on the verge of bankruptcy, and the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) announced that Q1 2009 was the worst quarter in its history. eMarketer predicts the radio industry will see double-digit losses in advertising spending this year alone, with terrestrial radio bringing in $14.5 billion in ad revenues in 2009, a drop of 18 percent from 2008 levels. No surprise, when you consider that car dealers have been the primary commercial radio advertiser. In contrast, the Internet radio (audio streaming) industry are positioning themselves to take advantage of the shift in advertising spend. Even in this tough economy, Internet radio is growing ad revenues year over year and is one of the fastest-growing online media categories. Attractive demographics (affluent listeners) and a connected audience will prove increasingly appealing to advertisers a...

Regardless of consumer confidence being at its weakest point in long time, the worldwide market for digital radio experienced year-over-year growth of 85 percent between 2007 and 2008, according to the latest market study by In-Stat. The Asia-Pacific region, primarily Korea, was the main driver of the growth seen over this time period. However, a market shift is on the way. "Moving into 2009, developed economies are significantly impacted by the economic turndown. However, developing parts of Asia/Pacific are still experiencing growth in digital radio shipments." says Stephanie Ethier, In-Stat analyst. The reality of the math is that even modest adoption in heavily populous countries such as China and India drives a large impact in global shipments. In-Stat's market study found the following: - Worldwide, the market for both satellite and terrestrial digital radio, combined, will grow to over 55 million unit shipments in 2012. - Key suppliers of semiconductor digital radi...

Your local Auto Dealership radio adverts could be making their way to your mobile phone, mixed with a little music. A report from the National Association of Broadcasters outlines this result, from an anticipated increase in the penetration of FM radio receivers in American cell phones. Their market study concludes that cell phone service providers, radio broadcasters, and handset manufacturers all stand to benefit from the expansion of FM-capable cell phones, a platform that could reach 257 million American subscribers. "Radio is a service that already reaches 235 million American listeners every week,"said NAB President and CEO David K. Rehr. "With 257 million cell phones currently in service, we're confident that implementation of a new FM-radio feature would result in rapid penetration, benefiting not only the radio business and American consumers, but the cell phone, electronics manufacturing, and music industries as well." The report, commissioned by the N...

The demand for mobile consumer electronics gadgets is entering a new phase of growth. As consumers continue to demand content personalization and portability in their electronics products, steady shipment growth of portable consumer devices is expected through 2011, according to the latest market study by In-Stat. The markets for digital radio receivers, edutainment toys, portable media players, and portable navigation devices will all thrive over the next five years, the high-tech market research firm says. "The most noticeable trends in these categories are the continued expansion of features, such as portable media players that can access the Internet, as well as the potential threat mobile phones pose to standalone personal navigation devices and personal media players," says Stephanie Ethier, In-Stat analyst. The In-Stat research covers the worldwide market for portable consumer electronics. It offers an overview of worldwide demand for digital radio receivers, edutainme...

ComScore released the results of a study of the differences in online behavior among heavy, medium, light and non-newspaper readers. The results showed that non-newspaper readers are likely to be younger, and they are actually heavier than average online news consumers. Meanwhile, heavy newspaper readers are more likely than average to engage with traditional print news brands online. "That current generations are growing up getting their news online for free is an indicator that print circulations are likely to continue their decline," said Jack Flanagan, executive vice president of comScore. "But the Internet represents a significant opportunity to extend -- and even improve upon -- existing news brands and reach out to new consumers with living, breathing real-time content. Just because print circulations are declining does not mean there are fewer news consumers. In fact, just the opposite is true." Heavy print newspaper readers show a strong skew towards older...

The legacy broadcast radio sector has seen better days, but there's hope on the horizon. The worldwide digital radio market is on a roll, with unit sales expected to increase more than three-fold from 2006 to 2011, according to the latest assessment from In-Stat. Recent developments include the availability of the new, enhanced Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB)+ standard in the UK, an increase in the number of DAB trials throughout Europe and Asia, and the introduction of mobile devices with integrated DAB support, the high-tech market research firm says. "From a regional standpoint, DAB technology is close to mass-market appeal in the UK, and is the pervasive digital radio technology throughout Europe," says Stephanie Ethier, In-Stat analyst. "Satellite radio remains the leading platform for digital radio in the U.S., despite notable progress in HD Radio awareness." In-Stat's market study found the following: - The global market for digital radio will grow f...

Total advertising expenditures in the first half of 2007 slipped by 0.3 percent to $72.59 billion versus the same period in 2006, according to data released by TNS Media Intelligence. "For the first time since 2001, media advertising expenditures have declined for two consecutive quarters," said Steven Fredericks, president and CEO of TNS Media Intelligence. "While the protracted downturn in automotive spending has been a prime contributor, the overall results reflect weakness across a wide range of industries and advertisers. Given the uncertainties about near-term economic growth and consumer spending, we expect core ad spending will continue to face challenges during the second half of the year." Internet display advertising maintained its growth leadership position, registering a 17.7 percent increase to $5.52 billion in expenditures. Consumer magazines posted a 6.9 percent gain to $11.50 billion in advertising. Outdoor expenditures were up 3.6 percent to $1.90 ...

Hundreds of millions of U.S. consumers have adopted social networking services as a tool to manage their social connections and express themselves. Spreading like wildfire, social networks have a stickiness among consumers that potentially make them prime real estate for advertising. However, a new report from IDC argues that sites like MySpace, Facebook and YouTube have not yet realized their full potential as advertising media. According to IDC's assessment, social network operators are only beginning to learn how to monetize their services. Few offerings currently generate income in proportion to the media attention they receive. However, the popularity of social networks will eventually translate into revenues. IDC estimates that social networks only made about $400 million in revenues in 2006, but could make as much as $1 billion this year. To generate new revenues in the future, IDC expects that most social network services will employ a mix of business models, including adve...

According to an SNL Interactive report, XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio have offered details of the programming choices a merged company would offer, promising to provide consumers with "a la carte" packages starting at $6.99 per month. I'm left wondering, why didn't the FCC or the U.S. Department of Justice push for this type of requirement before approving the AT&T merger with BellSouth -- or any of the prior mergers that reduced the potential for competition, while further consolidating the American communications and media landscape? SNL says that the proposed packages seem to lend credence to the satellite radio company's claims that their proposed merger would result in lower prices and expanded consumer choice, a contention merger opponents such as the National Association of Broadcasters dismiss. Under the proposed pricing plans, which the companies said they planned to include in their reply comments filed with the FCC on July 24, custo...

Wal-Mart Stores recently announced that it will sell receivers that support HD Radio programming. HD radio is a technology that delivers digital audio quality, advanced data services, and more content choices to terrestrial radio listeners. The car radio receiver will be JVC-branded and will be priced at $190, according to In-Stat. HD Radio programming is free once the consumer has purchased the receiver, which can be an attractive selling point to the price-sensitive Wal-Mart consumer. The giant retailer's support of HD Radio is an important step in the radio industry's conversion to digital. More and more consumers are ignoring terrestrial analog radio in favor of digital satellite radio and portable MP3 players. However, the number of HD Radio receivers sold to date has been very low. Consequently, broadcasters are hoping that HD Radio will revitalize terrestrial radio listenership. Wal-Mart's agreement to free up shelf space for HD Radio receivers will allow HD Radio su...

HD2 digital radio multicasting enables broadcasters to add new channels featuring programming not typically found on AM or FM radio stations. New HD2 channels are popping up with bluegrass, big band music, gospel and Spanish oldies formats rarely found on analog radio today, according to Kagan Research. Country music was dropped as a radio format in the greater New York City area in 2001, but last year made a comeback via separate HD2 audio channels from WKTU-FM and WALK-FM, two area Clear Channel stations in the market. "If we've seen anything over the past few years, it's that the consumer wants diverse content," says Robert Struble, president and CEO iBiquity Digital Corporation, the developer of HD Radio technology. "This gives radio an option to address the long tail in a way that makes economic sense." The long tail is a marketing concept referring to the ability to market special-interest product to niche consumer segmen...

Here in the U.S. market, reports of financial analyst concerns about the viability of the XM and Sirius digital satellite radio services continued to surface during 2006. Sirius and XM shares have taken a battering on Wall Street, with prices for both off about 50 percent from their year-ago levels. Regardless, there is renewed hope that 2007 could be the year that these services are embraced by more mainstream consumers. The conversion from analog radio to digital radio is well under way around the world and gaining momentum rapidly, reports In-Stat. Worldwide, the market for digital radio receivers will grow from 5 million units in 2005, to almost 25 million unit shipments in 2010. "The primary factors contributing to this expected growth are falling receiver prices, an increase in the amount of compelling digital programming, significant boosts in promotion and advertising of digital radio, and enhanced functionality of digital radio receivers," says Stephanie Ethier, In-S...