A new project looks set to revolutionise the way we use mobile phones, as it aims to find a way to send television broadcast signals to 3G enabled telephones.
The â‚Ź96 million study, named INSTINCT (IP-based Networks, Services and Terminals for Converging Systems), is being undertaken by West London’s Brunel University and hopes to bring mobile phone data services, digital television and the internet together to a single third generation (3G) high-speed pocket-sized device by 2010.
Project co-ordinator at the School of Engineering and Design, Dr Thomas Owens said: “There’s currently very little crossover between broadcast and the internet but INSTINCT will bring the two together with mobile communications so that we can use the two together on a portable terminal such as a mobile phone totally transforming the way we use the media.”
The report said, INSTINCT, will act as platform that can be switched from television to the internet with the content creators being in control depending on the level of demand for individual items in a given area.
Dr Owens added: “INSTINCT could help you plan the ideal weekend away. You could plan your journey by watching local travel guides broadcast to your mobile phone with links to websites with detailed information on local attractions including audio and video clips.
“The beauty of INSTINCT is that if demand is high enough, the system will automatically switch from internet streaming to digital broadcasting, helping operators slash costs without impacting the services they offer.”
The first two years of the project have been funded by the European Union’s Information Society Technologies programme and will be run in collaboration with industrial partners in France, Germany, Italy Israel, Spain and Brazil.
The take-up of 3G enabled mobile phones, which allow users to transfer large amounts of data faster than standard phones, has been slower than expected. However today, Hong-Kong based telecommunications group, Hutchison Whampoa reported, that it has seen massive improvements and now has 3.2 million subscribers, with more than one-third coming from the UK.
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