Can Sony's Dongle Take Down Google's Chromecast?

In August, Sony announced a tentative deal with Viacom to stream its content, which could give it a major advantage in the Internet TV market. Now, Sony is readying to launch its own Google Chromecast-like dongle.
Entertainment-industry magazine Variety broke the news about Sony's plans to debut a Bravia Smart Stick this week. They describe it as a plug-in adapter for Sony's current-generation HD televisions, based on Google TV software Relevant Products/Services for running interactive TV apps.

There's a vast gulf between pricing strategies. Google is making its Chromecast available for just $35, while Sony's Bravia Smart Stick is reportedly priced at $150. But Variety says Sony will offer more content apps, including access to Amazon Relevant Products/Services Video, Wal-Mart's Vudu, Redbox Instant by Verizon, AOL On, and its own Crackle and Video Unlimited. Chromecast works with Netflix, YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, and Google Play Music. Google has also promised more apps like Pandora are coming soon.

Comparing Dongles

We caught up with Ross Rubin, principal analyst at Reticle Research, to get his take on the new Sony dongle. Like the Chromecast, he told us, the Smart Stick should help bring an array of broadband video to the television, in this case, Sony's TVs.

"Like the Roku stick, the Sony stick is based on a standard called MHL (Mobile Hi-Definition Link)," Rubin said. "This means it doesn't need an extra cable to draw power Relevant Products/Services. However, it works with a limited set of TVs. In this case, it may work only Sony TVs."

As Rubin sees it, the Bravia Smart Stick should offer a greater variety of services and apps than the Chromecast, but the Chromecast has resonated by attacking a few popular services at an aggressive price.

"It's not so much what it does, which can be achieved with a variety of products, but how it does it," he said. "The Sony stick is more of a size reduction of what Sony has already done with its Google TV devices, but shows the potential of getting a broadband TV option into a small package."

The Viacom Factor

Google has been focusing on Chromecast's lower price as well as its competitive differentiator: Unlike other streaming solutions, you can still multitask. In other words, you can still send emails or surf the web while you watch the content streaming to your TV. It's not clear if the Bravia Smart Stick will offer this option.

If Sony's deal with Viacom goes through, it would be a major score against Google. Viacom is behind many popular cable channels, from MTV and Nickelodeon to Comedy Central, BET and more. These and other channels would appear on an Internet TV service Sony is reportedly developing.

No matter who wins, the Internet TV battle could have a profound impact on cable TV providers. According to research from The Diffusion Group, about 7 percent of pay TV subscribers are likely to cancel their subscription services in the next six months. Of those who had connected their TVs to the Internet, nearly 9 percent said they were highly likely to cut the cord. That compares with 3.5 percent of those who had not connected their televisions to the Internet.

Broadband's Role Moves up in Post-2015 Sustainable Development

The Broadband Commission for Digital Development, a joint initiative of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and UNESCO, has issued a new report looking at several aspects of broadband and its positive effects on people, environment and society. The task force which delivered the report was led by Hans Vestberg, President and CEO of Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC).

The report, entitled: "Transformative Solutions for 2015 and Beyond: the report of the Broadband Commission Task force on Sustainable Development" analyzes national broadband plans for 138 countries and identifies best government practices, urges governments to act now and to include broadband in their national development agenda. It also makes a number of supporting recommendations.

The report is to be recognized by the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. Hans Vestberg says: "As the post-2015 sustainable development agenda process evolved, we felt an urgent need to see action. We see so many opportunities for broadband to transform all aspects of society. Technology evolves faster than policy, and we wanted to make a concerted effort to do everything we could to raise awareness of the potential."

Dr. Hamadoun Touré, Secretary General of the ITU, says: "Through this work the Broadband Commission would like to encourage the international community to recognize the need for transformative solutions in the post-2015 development agenda; and this report makes the case. The report presents for the first time new research showing how countries around the world use their national broadband plans as key policy instruments to leverage the full potential of broadband as an enabling infrastructure to accelerate sustainable development; yet there are also many missed opportunities, not least within poverty reduction and food security."

Among the ten recommendations are "make broadband affordable for all," and "deploy national development policies and plans to actively drive cross-sector integration of economic and social outcomes deliverable and scalable through ICT and broadband."

Best practices are highlighted from five countries - Japan, Mexico, the Philippines Rwanda, and Sweden -- that have successfully integrated a wide range of development goals into their national broadband plans. The task force credits a spirit of collaborating across all sectors of governments and including the private sector to realize shared aims.

UN report shows poor PH broadband adoption

Despite being the “call center capital of the world” and a social networking hotspot, the Philippines fared rather poorly in the broadband report issued by the United Nations on Saturday, Sept. 21.



In the 2013 edition of the State of Broadband Report by the UN’s Broadband Commission for Digital Development, the Philippines ranked 110th in fixed broadband penetration worldwide.

For mobile broadband adoption, the Philippines placed even a notch lower at 111st, just ahead of African nations Senegal, Malawi, and Rwanda.

In the area of “percentage of households with Internet among developing countries”, the Philippines performed better at 56th place.

But, in terms of “percentage of individuals using the Internet,” the country was at dismal 100th position. Among developing countries, however, the country claimed the 54th spot.

The report nonetheless noted the country’s national digital strategy that was launched in 2011.


Fixed broadband penetration, worldwide, per 100 inhabitants, 2012

Mobile broadband penetration, worldwide, per 100 inhabitants, 2012

Percentage of households with Internet, developing countries, 2012

Percentage of Individuals using the Internet, worldwide, 2012

Percentage of Individuals using the Internet, developing countries, 2012
Overall, the report revealed that mobile broadband subscriptions, which allow users to access the Web via smartphones, tablets and WiFi-connected laptops, are growing at a rate of 30 percent per year.

By the end of 2013 there will be more than three times as many mobile broadband connections as there are conventional fixed broadband subscriptions, it said.

South Korea continues to have the world’s highest household broadband penetration at over 97 percent. Switzerland leads the world in fixed broadband subscriptions per capita, at over 40 percent.

By comparison, the US ranks 24th in terms of household broadband penetration, and 20th in the world for fixed broadband subscriptions per capita, just behind Finland and ahead of Japan.

In terms of Internet use, there are now more than 70 countries where over 50 percent of the population is online. The top ten countries for Internet use are all located in Europe, with the exception of New Zealand (8th) and Qatar (10th).

“While more and more people are coming online, over 90 percent of people in the world’s 49 Least Developed Countries remain totally unconnected. Internet – and particularly broadband Internet – has become a key tool for social and economic development, and needs to be prioritized, even in the world’s poorest nations,” said ITU secretary-general Hamadoun I. Touré.