Qualcomm/Flo TV
I’m keepin’ my eye on this one…| Digital TV’s Transition Day Is a Big One for Flo TV After its initial delay, the digital TV switch is finally upon us, which means that Qualcomm’s Flo TV mobile television service will go nationwide starting with the June 12 switch. Flo TV relies on the analog radio spectrum vacated by local TV stations. Some stations had already switched prior to the deadline, opening mobile TV to a few markets. On June 12, 15 new markets such as Boston, Houston, Miami and San Francisco will go live. Flo TV says it also will expand service in existing markets including Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C. By the end of the year, the company says it will be in 100 markets with more than 200 million potential customers, who can watch broadcast news, sports and live entertainment on cell phones. The company has also set its sights on devices beyond cell phones, says Flo TV president Bill Stone, who cited the company’s partnership with Audiovox to equip car entertainment systems like overhead drop-down video and headrest systems. Flo TV has signed deals with CBS, ESPN, FOX, MTV and NBC and is building original content. The service is available to AT&T subscribers as AT&T Mobile TV and to Verizon Wireless customers as V CAST Mobile TV. The carriers bundle the service in monthly packages ranging in price from $15 to $30. But it’s limited to less than a dozen handsets, and not the most popular smart phones like Apple’s iPhone or Research In Motion’s BlackBerry. There’s also another competitor, Mobile DTV, provided by a consortium of U.S. broadcasters. It’s a free service supported by commercials that would also run on abandoned analog television channels. Each is trying to convince carriers to adopt their technology. |
