Mobile company to trial live handset TV
One of Ireland’s mobile media networks 3, has today announced that it has been awarded a licence by ComReg to trial broadcast TV services over mobile handsets.
The licence takes effect immediately and runs for one year.
DVB-H, a technology specifically developed for broadcasting live digital television channels via mobile handsets, has the potential to provide access to a number of different TV channels as well as interactive TV.
3’s managing director Robert Finnegan said: “3 Italia was first in Europe to launch broadcast TV over mobile, so as a Group we are already leading the development of this new technology.
"Ireland has a high take-up of digital TV services compared to many EU countries with 42% of all households using digital TV services. DVB-H brings the benefits of Digital TV to mobile. Mobile TV is important to 3 and to the Irish market, as consumers demand more sophisticated mobile services."”
The Minister for Communications Mr Noel Dempsey, TD, said: “I welcome all developments in the digital television area. It is particularly important that Ireland rolls out a digital terrestrial television network in the coming years and that the full range of digital services become available to the Irish citizen."
3’s sister company in Italy launched its DVB-H service called WalkTV earlier this year and is already broadcasting mobile TV to a wide audience, with 140,000 customers signing up in just six weeks.
3’s DVB-H tests in Ireland follow the success of a range of TV content available on 3 from Barclays Premiership highlights and the best of Father Ted, to 3’s own music channel hosted by Tom Dunne.
