Service providers are naturally hesitant to talk about how they are charging their subscribers more so we can’t go into specifics, but I can provide some rough guidance.
Wikipedia defines over-the-top (OTT) as a delivery mechanism that “bypasses” managed cable/service providers’ infrastructure. No wonder service providers, in particular MSOs, have regarded OTT video as a threat rather than an opportunity. However, it’s now possible for service providers to both embrace and profit from OTT.
Evidence of TV viewers cutting their cable cord in favor of Internet-delivered video is emerging. Deloitte's latest annual survey of watching habits found 9% of respondents had cut the cord and another 11% were thinking about it. Apple might naturally cater to this small but growing segment. Indeed, the iTunes Store—boasting 225 million active users as of July—could give it a leg up.
That is a profound change. Only a few years ago, most video players (Hulu, Veoh, Joost) had to change from an app-based to browser-based model in order to gain market traction. The Mobile App phenomenon is changing that trend, and smartTV and tablet devices may extend that trend to the desktop.
During the BlackBerry® DevCon Americas conference in October 2011, RIM presented many nice features for their future platforms. Some are quite impressive. At the keynote session, RIM announced its vision of a "single platform" - its next generation OS called BBX that will be in both RIM mobile devices and playbooks going forward.
