MediaFLO is a proprietary technology developed by Qualcomm, designed for the efficient transmission of files and multimedia content to handheld devices. This system incorporates a distribution infrastructure for widespread content dissemination and offers the capability to include regional or localized material as needed. The core transmission technology within MediaFLO is referred to as FLO, which stands for Forward Link Only.

The FLO transmission method relies on a limited number of high-power transmission towers to deliver content. FLO employs Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) with 4,096 carriers. Each carrier is modulated using either Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) or 16-QAM modulation, carrying a fraction of the overall data load. Similar to DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting – Handheld), FLO employs a time-slicing approach, where specific content is transmitted during designated time intervals. This allows the receiver to be activated only during these transmission bursts, conserving power.

MediaFLO can operate within various frequency bands ranging from 450 MHz to 3 GHz. Qualcomm holds a license for nationwide coverage of FLO in a 6 MHz frequency block allocated in the lower 700 MHz band (specifically, channel 55) in the United States.

Additionally, MediaFLO supports the delivery of multimedia content over cellular-based mobile networks during off-peak hours. This content can be stored on the handheld device for future viewing, providing flexibility and convenience to users.