Mobile TV is hot and trials are springing up like as mushroom. The latest is in France where some telecom operators and broadcasters join effort to test DVB-H TV mobile reception. FT, Orange, Bouygues Telecom and TPS are building a first trial offering a bunch of TF1, M6 and TPS info, sport and music programs. The second trial involves Canal+, SFR, Nokia and TowerCast. Both trials will last more than 6 months (mainly during 2H05) and target broadcast and reception parameters, various content offerings, and testing different business models.
In Finland, Digita, Elisa, MTV, Nelonen, Nokia, Sonera and YLE are launching a similar initiative to test mobile TV services and consumer experiences.
Samsung is testing a handset that will deliver satellite-TV signals to cellphone subscribers and another that delivers terrestrial-TV services to mobile subscribers.
According to Strategy Analytics, TV cellphones will be 1.8% of the worldwide cellphone market, and 5% by 2009. TI, Samsung, Philips and Qualcomm have already entered the TV cellphone market in order to be ready on time when the market takes off.
