Washington, DC to premiere free mobile television
April 21, 2009
The nation's capital will be the first location to get free, over the airwaves TV broadcasts for mobile devices like cell phones, smartphones and laptop computers, but so far there are no devices compatible with the signal.
The Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC), an alliance of television broadcasters, have organized the free mobile TV standard to compete with other mobile TV services offered on a subscription basis by broadband providers Verizon and AT&T.
OMVC said it wanted to spur device makers into developing compatible handsets by offering the service.
The broadcasters said their intention is to launch mobile DTV across 63 stations in 22 markets, covering 35 percent of U.S. television households. The new technology will provide live, local and national over-the-air digital television to consumers via next-generation portable and mobile devices.
"Following a very smooth ATSC Mobile DTV standard setting process, broadcasters are on track to deliver local and national broadcast television to mobile audiences," said Brandon Burgess, OMVC president. "The collaboration and dedication among TV broadcasters on this project has been gratifying, enabling us to meet our goal of making mobile broadcast DTV a reality in 2009."
Broadcaster-provided mobile DTV will give consumers local-station programming in a true digital format, the coalition said.
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