A major broadcast industry conference will this week learn how broadcasters and media will benefit from the Australian National Broadband Network (NBN).

Kursten Leins, head of Multimedia Strategy for Ericsson Australia/NZ, will present on the NBN’s impact on the media industry at this week’s SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) Conference, Darling Harbour, 21-24 July.

SMPTE is the leading technical society for the motion imaging industry.

According to Mr Leins, the advent of ubiquitous broadband will enable content and service providers the opportunity to directly connect with their audiences and end-users like never before.

"The NBN will fundamentally re-shape our relationship with television. High-speed broadband will enable immersive communication and collaboration between people, businesses and machines," said Mr Leins.

"Imagine watching your favourite sport on the big screen, and being able to simultaneously view your favourite player's information, as well as choose your preferred view and commentary. And then join a live chat session with other fans and sporting analysts without missing a moment of the game. You can watch instant replays and receive personalised advertising based on your own sporting interests, with the ability to purchase merchandise and related products and services all from the comfort of your couch.

"All this is possible with today's technologies, which are creating new opportunities for broadcasters and content providers - and allowing fans to be immersed in their chosen sport or program."

Under the NBN, internet access will become a utility service, providing basic connectivity. Service providers will need to differentiate themselves by offering value-added-services such as IPTV and video services.

"The opportunity for highly targetted, personalised, interactive advertising and e-commerce will enable completely new business models and revenue opportunities for the media sector. This will ensure media and brands are able to connect directly with relevant audiences and individuals for product and service sales, all within a highly integrated TV environment," said Mr Leins.

Standardisation will be a critical success factor for the media industry. Ericsson was one of the founding members of the Open IPTV Forum, which provides an end-to-end, open solution for integration of third-party applications and services such as games, internet applications, telephony and more.

IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is the preferred way for telecom operators to realise the multimedia experience. It is a standardised technology that many telecom operators already today either have in their networks or have in their network evolution plans, and is a key component of Ericsson's TV solutions. The majority of telecom operators has chosen IMS as the way forward in realising multimedia.

About 100 operators have already deployed IMS core, and about 30 have commercially launched.

In September 2008 Ericsson and IDC published a White Paper, "IPTV in Australia: Why Broadband Service Providers Need a Plan" (September 2008), that concluded IPTV will be the killer application and source of differentiation for Broadband Service Providers in the new competitive environment of the NBN.

Ericsson will be co-hosting a stand at SMPTE with Tandberg Television, which Ericsson acquired in 2007. You can visit Booth C17 to see the latest technologies such as MPEG-2 revolution, next generation hybrid headend, video transport and new service delivery technology including IPTV, mobile TV, citizen journalism and more.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors: 

Ericsson's multimedia content is available at the broadcast room.

About Ericsson

Ericsson is the world's leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators. Ericsson is the leader in 2G, 3G and 4G mobile technologies, and provides support for networks with over 1 billion subscribers and has a leading position in managed services. The company's portfolio comprises of mobile and fixed network infrastructure, telecom services, software, broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and the media industry. The Sony Ericsson and ST-Ericsson joint ventures provide consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices.

Ericsson is advancing its vision of "to be the prime driver in an all-communicating world" through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 75,000 employees generated revenue of SEK 209 billion (USD 32.2 billion) in 2008. Founded in 1876 with the headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on OMX NASDAQ, Stockholm and NASDAQ New York.

For more information please contact:

John Papanidis
External Relations Manager

Ericsson Australia
Tel: +61 (0)2 9111 4412
Mob: +61 (0)401 237 854