A MARKET-CENTRIC APPROACH TO NEW MEDIA BUSINESS : LTE-BROADCAST AS A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY WITHIN THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE MARKET

Abstract: With a growing number of connected devices and an increased market penetration for wireless and cellular technologies, it has become more and more important to understand how new technologies can be leveraged in existing markets to further understand their overall impact on society as a whole. This master thesis aims to investigate potential business opportunities for a new communications technology within an existing market. This new technology, known as LTE-Broadcast, is an evolution of cellular 4G technologies, which allows content to be broadcasted throughout a cellular network. The thesis focuses on the digital signage market and uses it as context in which to investigate potential business opportunities. Digital signage, in short, refers to the use of digital screens as a medium for communication. This thesis therefore intends to understand how LTE-Broadcast can be leveraged as a viable business option within the digital signage market by perusing both a global and national perspective of the market. By investigating and analyzing a global perspective and a national perspective, in the form of the Swedish digital signage market, a clear picture of the value LTE-Broadcast can generate within digital signage is achieved. This, consequently, allows for the identification and conceptualizing of a viable business model for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) while leveraging LTE-Broadcast in the digital signage market. The research, conclusively, allows for a clear understanding of the model’s scalability. Ultimately, the understanding of the technology’s viability within a given market will influence its successful adoption in society and its potential utilization by MNOs to create a sustainable competitive advantage within the digital signage market.