AT&T to Offer Mobile TV
AT&T announced recently that it will be launching its mobile TV services this May. The service was initially set to be offered at the end of 2007, but a spokesperson said that AT&T opted to wait seeing as this particular offering was a whole new endeavor.
AT&T has partnered with MediaFlo USA to offer live television content from eight networks namely NBC 2GO, CBS Mobile, Nickelodeon, ESPN Mobile TV, NBC News2Go, MTV and Fox Mobile. Two other channel will also be broadcast exclusively for AT&T subscribers, although the telecoms company hasn’t revealed which channels.
The AT&T service will be available on two mobile devices, Samsung Access and LG Vu. Samsung Access, with its 2.3 inch landscape display and LG Vu’s 3 inch touch screen should be ideal for watching television content.
Verizon Wireless has been offering similar services – with the exception of the two exclusive channels from AT&T – for over a year now. Analysts say that while mobile TV services have acquired 10 percent market share in Korea, it still hasn’t had a significant impact on the US market. This slow growth could be attributed to pricing and insufficient advertising.
Verizon currently offers the service for $15 and some experts say people might not want to add more to what they are already paying in cellphone service fees. After all, TV over mobile devices isn’t really considered a necessary feature. Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs says there is not enough promotions being done on the part of the carriers so demand for mobile services has been on the low end.
MediaFlo USA, a Qualcomm subsidiary, currently delivers mobile TV content in cities such as Dallas, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York, Orlando and Chicago. Right now, only AT&T and Verizon has partnered with the company but amid doubts of mobile TV’s prospects for growth, the company said it is looking into all possible opportunities for expansion.
These include offering the service to car and refrigerator manufacturers who have expressed interest, as well as more talks with other wireless operators in the United States. There is also the possibility of selling the services in the same way that satellite radio is being sold.
In the meantime, there is no word yet from AT&T about pricing schemes. The company’s announcement also doesn’t say how their services differ from that of Verizon’s. Besides live television, AT&T also offers music services, video on demand and web access to its customers.