STARHUB.COM (STARHUB - SINGAPORE)
It is interesting to think that some of our closest neighbours here in Australia, are some of the world leaders when it comes to communication technologies and the uptake of smart phone devices. Countries such as South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong are world leaders, both in regards to cellular and wired networks.
StarHub TV in Singapore is a great example of a on-demand television model, where content is exclusively streamed to your mobile phone device (whether that be Android, Nokia, Motorola, Samsung or iOS). Primarily a mobile phone and data carrier, StarHub offers this additional on-demand service for either a once-off monthly fee, or as a pre-paid, ‘pay as you go’ service ($1 per day, for unlimited 24 hour access). This form of delivering content via the cellular networks very much suits their business model and free data streaming is also offered to consumers on StarHub phone plans when browsing/viewing their on-demand TV content. StarHub utilities their own 3.5G network in Singapore which is capable of delivering speeds of up to 21 megabits/second (StarHub Website) - about 4 times faster than our 3G networks here in Australia - definitely quick enough to stream fairly good quality video, on-demand, straight to your mobile device. Unlike our other case studies, StarHub TV approaches their on-demand model with live television as the primary beneficiary. There is only a limited amount of on-demand content in their media library, with StarHub TV subscribers mainly signing up to access up to 33 live channels straight from all corners of the globe. BBC News, National Geographic and more local Asian events/news channels are all available to stream live - with some channels being free to view for the ‘pay as you go’ customers. It is hard to judge the quality of these free and subscription based streams, as StarHub doesn’t offer much information on their website concerning overall video quality. Obviously mobile devices with their smaller screens (compared to tablets, laptops or desktop computers), should work well with lower, standard definition quality video (say, 360/480p) - although it is important to remember that StarHub Mobile TV subscribers can also access their content both from tablets and other mobile friendly devices. |
StarHub seems to acknowledge with their on-demand television model, that Singaporean television consumers are highly integrating their television watching habits into their always busy and mobile lifestyles. Their ability to ‘space-shift’ their television viewing behaviours is highly desirable feature for local consumers there - and once again we have seen this trend feature within the BBC’s and Hulu’s mobile application services. |