Virgin Mobile is to be the first mobile operator to
allow its customers to view live TV on their handsets after signing
a deal with BT and Microsoft.
Virgin is to use the BT Movio broadcast digital TV and radio
service to deliver content to its customers’ phones.
The content will be delivered using existing digital audio
broadcasting (DAB) technology, meaning the company’s existing
mobile network will not become congested with high bandwidth video
content.
Virgin and its partners have developed the Trilogy phone to
receive the content, which is world’s first DAB-IP enabled
Smartphone. The phone was shown at this week’s 3GSM World Congress
in Barcelona.
Virgin Mobile said it will start offering the broadcast service
later this year, although it is not clear exactly how many users
will initially be given access to the content.
Those able to recieve it will have access to a wide range of
digital TV content and more than 350 DAB digital radio stations
nationwide, broadcasting 24 hours a day.
Graeme Hutchinson, Virgin Mobile sales and marketing director,
said, “Virgin Mobile customers will be the first people in Europe
to watch real broadcast TV over their mobile phones. It’s not
downloaded, it’s not looped, but real TV just like you get at home,
using crystal clear DAB sound.”
BT has developed a strategic relationship with Microsoft to
enable a secure and efficient environment for delivering broadcast
services on a mobile handset.
Microsoft's Windows Media technologies, including Windows Media
Video and Windows Media Audio Pro, enable BT Movio to deliver
high-quality audio and video content over the DAB network using
minimal bandwidth.
The BT Movio service also incorporates Windows Media Digital
Rights Management (DRM) technology to ensure secure delivery of
premium video and music content.
BT Movio will be available to other mobile operators at a later
date.