The challenge for both media companies and service providers is not the mere availability of content for the mobile channel, but deciding which content is best for this medium.

Speaking during the CTIA Wireless mobile TV seminar, Tammy Franklin, vice president at Turner Broadcasting, says it is still too early to know what consumers will want to watch: "We are excited because we are all going to learn."

Content already being produced and distributed to mobile users includes music downloads and streaming, mobile TV and mobile advertising. And while some see the mobile phone as just another way to get consumers to engage with their brands, others see it is as a fresh new medium for original and personalized content.

Technology providers, such as Ericsson, are playing a critical role in this by making it possible for companies to make their content mobile. Ericsson provides hosting and managed services to both service providers and media companies.

Dobson Communications, with 1.6 million subscribers, looked to Ericsson to help it enter into new distribution channels through a hosting solution. Ericsson has also formed a relationship with Turner Broadcasting, to help it mobilize content for its CNN Mobile channel.

Greg Clayman, senior vice president, MTV Networks, says: "A generation that has come to expect participation, personalization and customization is not getting enough of this yet in the wireless space."

Many producers are looking at the mobile medium as a way to offer exclusive artist content, says Michael Nash, senior vice president, Warner Music Group: "People will buy content on their mobile phones if we make content available that they can't get on another platform."

Bill Stone, CEO of Amp'd Mobile, argues that this exclusive content is revolutionizing some of the existing models in the media world. "I think a lot of people are frustrated with the old-school media approach," he says.

Amp'd recently launched a mobile TV show called Lil' Bush that was so enormously popular it was picked up and syndicated by a major television channel, Comedy Central. This would be the first time a popular TV show originated in the mobile sphere.

Whether it's TV, music or advertising, original mobile content is interesting to all players because it encourages consumer loyalty and increases demand for content that cannot be found on other devices or platforms.

So will mobile be another medium for the most popular content, or will it be an incubator for new and original material? It is still too early to make that judgment but consumers are expected most likely to reward service providers and media producers for new and refreshing mobile content.

Those returns can only be achieved if operators have the business models and support to offer customers what they want. Ericsson's hosting and managed services create the opportunity for operators to reap these rewards.