I have been a huge supporter of the MediaFLO concept since Qualcomm started it. When it was first launched, it was an idea way before its time.

The MediaFLO concept is Qualcomm’s technology designed to transmit media to wireless devices. The FLO stands for “Forward Link Only”; meaning the transmission path is one way. Think about it when Qualcomm first started MediaFLO as a company and a technology back in the late 1990s, one way entertainment on a handset was a dream. It was that revolutionary. People take for granted the great things Qualcomm did.

Today MediaFLO (Qualcomm) has branded its technology into a company called FLO TV, which Qualcomm has launched as an independent entity. This is all good news. To those doubting thomases of wireless media entertainment; phooey on all of you. FLO TV may succeed or it may not. Frankly its success or failure will not stop this media train. The train has left the station and it is moving faster and faster.

For FLO TV, the challenges are: finding compelling content and finding distribution channels. Finding content was tough in 2004 when Sprint Nextel launched its Sprint Vision service. However, today finding content is easy; finding good content is a whole other story.

On the one hand, FLO TV needs the carriers and on the other hand it has the potential to be much more than just a simple provider of entertainment to wireless carriers. As telecom and information systems have virtually erased the lines of differences between themselves, the opportunities for Qualcomm to find other distribution channels has grown.