5G

One of the "ecosystem" technologies to watch is 5G.

How exactly it will appear remains to be determined, but it's sufficient to say that it will make wireless data a LOT faster, and probably a lot cheaper -- making streaming and downloading video content a lot more convenient and affordable.

PCMag  (Much more at the source)

AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and other carriers will start to launch 5G networks next year. But what exactly is 5G? Here's what we know so far.

5G Will Enable Mobile AR/VR

So…what about phones? The biggest change 5G may bring is in virtual and augmented reality. As phones transform into devices meant to be used with VR headsets, the very low latency and consistent speeds of 5G will give you an Internet-augmented world, if and when you want it. Sprint recently demonstrated streaming wireless VR at the Copa America soccer tournament. The small cell aspects of 5G may also help with in-building coverage, as 5G encourages every home router to become a cell site.

Ecosystem on Steroids Verizon 5G

C|Net Verizon 5G

The nation's largest wireless carrier will begin field trials on so-called fifth-generation, or 5G, technology within the next 12 months, Roger Gurnani, chief information and technology architect for Verizon, said in an interview last week. He expects "some level of commercial deployment" to begin by 2017. That's far earlier than the time frame of 2020 that many in the industry have pegged for the initial adoption of 5G technology.

So, what would that mean for PicoP?

How fast is 5G? Verizon's tests have shown a connection speed that is 30 to 50 times faster than our current 4G network, or higher speeds than what Google Fiber offers through a direct physical connection into the home, Gurnani said.

With 5G, that copy of the movie "The Guardians of the Galaxy" would zip to your device in 15 seconds instead of 6 minutes via 4G.

Combine this with Go90. MicroVision WINS.

XFINITY WIFI

We are going to be viewing a lot more content on our portable devices. PicoP will make it possible, and much more desirable. Access to the content through mobile networks will be difficult until 5G becomes widely available. (Here's a reminder about 5G capabilities)

XFINITY has a great solution for fast data connections able to keep us in content. These are FREE WIFI connections if you're already an Xfinity customer, or you can pay them a monthly fee.

Wherever there is an Xfinity Customer with WIFI -- you'll have WIFI access as well!

Interactive WIFI Map

The Ecosystem is ready for PicoP -- right out of the gate, and that is a rare and beautiful thing for a new kind of technology.

Facebook & Quickfire -- Ecosystem improvement

The more video that can be delivered to consumers, the more easily, with less bandwidth, the better. Until 5G protocol becomes common, this is the next best thing. 


AlleyWatch

What is QuickFire?

The social networking mogul Facebook took over the video startup QuickFire. The acquisition was officially announced on the QuickFire website. 

In the words of Craig Y. Lee, QuickFire CEO, “QuickFire Networks was founded on the premise that the current network infrastructure is not sufficient to support the massive consumption of online video without compromising video quality. QuickFire Networks solves this capacity problem via proprietary technology that dramatically reduces the bandwidth needed to view video online without degrading video quality.”

...the announcement comes days after Facebook declared that they average more than one billion video views every day. Video is now an essential part of the Facebook experience. Think about the #IceBucketChallenge, a viral campaign that saw 2.4 million related videos on Facebook. There is a lot of power behind such explosive campaigns that take over the online community and Zuckerberg’s team is ready to make the most of it.

Ericsson Mobility Report

• Enormous number of smart phones and smart devices being used, with many more on the way.
• Video counts for more and more of the traffic
• Big screens matter a lot  (We have the biggest.)
• Special events drive a lot of traffic

MicroVision's technology is in the right place at the right time. The demand for what MVIS offers is staggering, and people don't know they can get it yet. As investors, we're absolutely at the right place at the right time.

There are more and more devices being dreamed up on a daily basis that can incorporate PicoP. 

Mobile consumers consume mostly video -- which is where MicroVision's technology really shines.

Big screens allow people to SHARE the video experience -- so the fact that special events drive a lot of traffic --- that's fantastic --- people like to watch the big game together, even more than they like to share the Big Bang Theory. You can't share it on a phone, only with difficulty with a pad, but with PicoP -- it's easy.

Mobility Report from Ericsson

Forbes 

From TechCrunch

"Today there are 2.6 billion smartphone subscriptions globally, and while growth has been levelling off in developed markets like the U.S. and Europe, it’s not stalling altogether by a long shot. By 2020, globally there will be 6.1 smartphone users led by huge growth in less mature markets. And with 6.1 billion smartphones in circulation, we will see a tipping point of sorts: smartphones will finally overtake the number of active fixed line subscriptions worldwide in 2020."

"The numbers come from the latest annual Mobility Report from Ericsson, which is being published today. Using data gathered from around 100 carriers globally, Ericsson uses this to paint a picture of what is going on right now, as well as what to expect in the future, covering not just how many people are using mobile networks but also how they are using mobile."

"Those 6.1 billion smartphone users works out to some 70 percent of the world’s population using smartphones in five years’ time, a measure of just how central these devices are becoming to how we communicate with each other and do much more."

"In fact, “total mobile” subscriptions by 2020 will actually number 9.2 billion. When you take into account Internet-of-things and M2M services, mobile broadband and even some basic remaining feature phones, there will be 26 billion connected devices in five years’ time. (As some point out, however, this is actually a downward revision from Ericsson’s previous forecast of 50 billion connected devices.)"

"Video already accounts for 45 percent of app traffic, will rise to 60 percent. The story here is about OTT providers like YouTube and Netflix, which are the two most popular and therefore the biggest gobblers of bandwidth. This is a fact that is not going away: video consumption on mobile is currently growing at a rate of 55 percent annually, Ericsson says. It further notes that YouTube alone accounts for between 40-60 percent of all video traffic today. Interestingly, music streaming is in a firm second place, and although it is “gaining popularity” its unlikely to overtake video at any point. Part of the reason for this is because a lot of music consumption is offline. Social network only accounts for 15%."

Marquee events are driving huge amounts of usage. Ericsson notes that the 2014 football world championship was “one of the biggest social media events of 2014,” and that boom also played out on mobile with people using their smartphones to text, talk and post on social networks. In all the World Cup generated 26.7 TeraBytes (TB) of traffic, “the data equivalent of 48.5 million digital photos plus 4.5 million voice calls.”

Size matters. It’s long been known that the size of the screen impacts what and how much a person consumers. Specifically, video continues to be a magnet service for tablet users — no surprise, given the larger screen and overall better experience. What’s interesting is that this does not trickle down to other kinds of functions that are more interactive.

Ericsson to demo 5G

5 Gbps.

That's 250 times faster than 4G mobile protocol.[math] [Speed Reference]
166 times faster than the fastest cable internet service. [Math] [Speed Reference]

When we want to deliver content for an data-hungry accessory like PicoP -- this is gold.

Ericsson to demo multimode, multipoint 5G connectivity 

@Source
Ericsson will show new advances in 5G technology at the Mobile World Congress. Following a speed test where the Ericsson 5G radio test bed topped 5 Gbps throughput, the company will demonstrate 5G-LTE Dual Connectivity and 5G Multipoint Connectivity in Barcelona. 

The latest 5G radio test bed innovations focus on the interactions between mobile devices and the radio access network, both indoors and outside. With 5G-LTE Dual Connectivity, the 5G mobile device moves between LTE and 5G radio access coverage areas, establishing simultaneous connections with both networks before seamlessly handing over. This will enable 5G networks to provide multi-standard and multi-band support in both devices and radio access. 

The 5G Multipoint Connectivity shows a 5G mobile device connecting to two 5G base stations simultaneously, improving bit rate performance through multiple downlink streams, as well as signal strength and resilience. This will be key to supporting multi-layer networks consisting of both macro and small cell coverage, Ericsson said. 

The company's demonstrations at MWC will feature both 5G devices and 5G radio base stations operating in the high frequency 15 GHz band. Other demonstrations planned by Ericsson in Barcelona include capiallary networks for large-scale IoT systems, remote control over the mobile network of construction excavators developed with Volvo, the new Ericsson Radio System and the company's latest advances in LTE, the group's managed services and OSS/BSS portfolio, new IP routers and the company's pay-TV and media delivery systems.

Netflix will NOT go offline

Article at Source (Examiner.com) 

I scraped this due to excessive pop-ups that made my computer do weird things. This apparently means that other players will have the upper hand in the PicoP ecosystem for offline viewing.  Amazon and Sony? (New mobile protocols?  Like Ericsson 40gbps?)

Netflix WILL work with devices that are connected to WIFI or mobile networks, but will not allow DOWNLOADS.

Also this: Netflix with ShowWX

Netflix will do short clips. - to increase mobile viewing

Thanks Alessandro!

Netflix says 'never' to offline viewing

December 17, 2014 2:20 PM MST 

 

Netflix has laid down the law, much like a parent who’s just tired of hearing about cake for breakfast. It’s never going to happen. But for Netflix, what won’t ever happen is offline viewing. 

According to TechRadar on Wednesday, the company will never follow services like BBC iPlayer in making their content downloadable for viewing when not connected to the web. Director of Corporate Communications and Technology Cliff Edwards told TechRadar that offline downloads are viewed as a “short-term fix for a bigger problem.” He sees that problem being access to Wi-Fi and the quality of Wi-Fi overall.

While it sounds like he’s being harsh to use the word ‘never,’ it doesn’t come from a place of pure stubbornness, but out of hope for the industry. He believes that by the time five years have passed, the standards for Wi-Fi and video viewing will have advanced enough to make offline viewing obsolete. So Netflix is keeping future you in mind, and not the current you, who just wants to keep binging on “Sons Of Anarchy” while traveling for the holidays. 

To ARSTechnica, a Netflix representative even went as far as to say that, “there are plenty of other options if people want offline playback.” So, it doesn’t seem like Netflix is hurting by not providing this service. Those other options include Amazon Prime Instant Video and YouTube, among others.

We’re certainly hoping for a Wi-Fi-filled world, but considering there are still parts of the country without access to reliable cell service or internet at all, we won’t hold them to that exact timeline.

The Mobile Video Environment

PicoP would thrive in the current mobile environment. There are plenty of people viewing video and sharing pictures with mobile devices already. 

The Environment is not only going to improve for PicoP... it's going to improve VASTLY

At Fiercewireless.com

STOCKHOLM--Ericsson's (NASDAQ: ERIC) top executives painted a picture of the world in 2020 in which there will be 9 billion people on the planet, 9.1 billion mobile subscriptions and video traffic will dominate, accounting for at least 50 percent of all traffic on the network.

Speaking today at the Ericsson Business and Innovation Forum here, Ericsson CEO Hans Vestberg talked about how he believes the world is in the midst of a major technology revolution and that one of the challenges he faces is how to position his company so it will be relevant today as well as in the next 25 years.

"We are at an inflection point between the first phase and the second phase" of this revolution, he said, adding that the winners in the first phase are not necessarily winners in the second phase. "But we will transform and be relevant in both phases."

One way he is helping to position Ericsson and the telecom industry for the future is by making sure that organizations such as the United Nations understand the role Information, Communications and Technology, or ICT, will play in moving many different types of industries, such as healthcare, transportation and more.

Vestberg also talked about the importance of research and development in this time of transformation. That's why Ericsson has committed to investing $5 billion in R&D. Some of that is going toward the development of "5G" networks. 

Sara Mazur, vice president and head of Ericsson Research, noted that in July of this year Ericsson conducted a test in its lab and was able to reach speeds of 5-gigabits per second. The company is working with several partners to delve further into 5G technology and help develop a standard--and she emphasized the need for one 5G standard in order to avoid fragmentation and leave some without access to 5G.

Interestingly, Vestberg also showed a correlation between broadband penetration and a country's gross domestic product. Specifically, he said that doubling the broadband speeds can result in a 0.3 percent growth in GDP.

Mobile broadband traffic continues to escalate on the network and there appears to be no end in sight. According to Ericsson CTO Ulf Ewaldsson, mobile broadband traffic is expected to grow 10-fold by 2020 from 2 petabytes today to 20 exabytes in 2020. Because of this growth, Ewaldsson emphasized the need for more spectrum and more efficient use of existing. "Spectrum will become more valuable than oil," Ewaldsson predicted.

Growth in Mobile Video = Growth in Demand for PicoP

If what is in this report is true, my estimates for the potential of PicoP are grotesquely LOW.

Earnings Math
Market Cap Comparisons

• 6.8 BILLION mobile subscriptions globally in the first Quarter of 2014 (I find this difficult to believe. It must mean that there are a lot of people with multiple subscriptions.)
• More than 2 billion mobile broadband subscriptions globally in 2013.
• 9.2 Billion mobile subscriptions by the end of 2019. (That's more than the current human population of the world by two billion.) World Population
• Data usage has been growing at 65% annually
• 40% of mobile data traffic is from VIDEO. (That's a LOT of traffic. I need no other reason to invest in Microvision. We don't have to own the whole market to do amazingly well.)
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Ericsson Mobility Report June 2014 from Ericsson