Verizon, Qualcomm to Put Live TV on Phones

Qualcomm and Verizon have announced they plan to bring real-time television to mobile phones over Qualcomm's U.S.-based MediaFLO multicasting network.

Wireless technology developer Qualcomm and wireless operator Verizon have announced they intend to bring live television and video to mobile phone users over a multicasting network operated by Qualcomm-subsidiary MediaFLO USA, Inc. beginning in 2006.

Qualcomm and Verizon say they plan to launch mobile TV services in roughly half the markets already being served by Verizon Wireless’s CMDA200 EVDO-based broadband wireless network, making Verizon the first U.S. wireless carrier to offer real-time mobile TV services via MediaFLO. Qualcomm and MediaFLO plan to expand network coverage to additional markets, covering the entire areas served by Verizon’s V CAST and BroadbandAccess services. Users will need MediaFLO-enabled EVDO handsets to access mobile TV services once the network is operational.

“Using the MediaFLO technology and network, Verizon Wireless will be able to offer its customers a real-time TV-like experience on their wireless phones unlike anything available on the market today,” said Qualcomm CEO Dr. Paul E. Jacobs.

Neither Verizon nor Qualcomm indicated what sort of television programming would be carried by the MediaFLO network, or whether any deals with studios or distributors are in place or in negotiation.

The deal would not represent the first time TV has made it to cell phones, even in the US. While Nokia and Samsung have been offering TV services to mobile users in South Korea both via conventional cell towers and satellite, both Sprint and Cingular Wireless have introduced TV-like services in the U.S., although limited bandwidth and content distribution deals have generally limited the services to video-on-demand-style downloads of pre-produced video, rather than reception of live television. The MediaFLO network plans to work around bandwidth obstacles by using one-way technology modelled more on broadcast networks than cell phones, enabling the network to deliver more data to users over the same airwaves. MediaFLO estimates its network will be able to support simultaneously as many as 20 live video feeds. 10 audio channels, as well as conventional video-as-data downloads.