Smart links with NBC for mobile TV roll out

Smart Communications, in partnership with National Broadcasting Company (NBC) will roll out Mobile TV service to Filipino cellular subscribers by mid-year 2007.

Mobile TV allows mobile phone users to watch their favorite TV programs via a broadcast-base network, initially providing more or less 14 channels such as CNN, BBC, MTV, Fashion TV, Jack TV, and soon local TV network like ABS-CBN and GMA-7.

In a press presentation held yesterday, Smart Communications head for public affairs Ramon Isberto emphasized that this feature is expected to excite cellular subscribers in the Philippines, as the Philippines registered the highest TV viewership in Asia.

Now, under test broadcast, the new mobile TV service is being offered by NBC, a subsidiary of MediaQuest Holdings Inc., and Smart Communication serves as the delivery platform.

The service is being broadcast using the mobile TV platform called Digital Video Broadcasting—Hand-held or DVB-H.

NBC president and chief executive officer (CEO) Raymund Miranda said that channels that will be offered by the mobile TV device will be mixed of news, general entertainment, among others.

There are only about three to four countries including Korea and Italy that recently launched the mobile TV technology, and the Philippines will be the first country to offer such in Southeast Asia.

Mobile TV trials are taking place in Europe, Australia and Asia. Consumer studies from these initial services show that people use mobile TV to monitor breaking news, keep abreast of their favorite sports events and soap operas, and also to fill dead time during long commutes, while struck in traffic or waiting in line.

"Our goal is to introduce an exciting new dimension to television viewing in the Philippines. We are giving TV a new face—that of the mobile handset," said Napoleon Nazareno, Smart’s president and CEO.

Mindful about the cost of the service, Isberto said charging is going to be affordable and simple, making it available to both prepaid and postpaid subscribers, depending on the need of a user.

Although, final marketing packages are still being determined, according to Isberto, charging is not going to be based on time, but on a fixed billing, just like cable TV subscription at home.

The technology is initially offered using Nokia N92 model, a mobile phone designed for Mobile TV feature, and soon other models of Nokia will have Mobile TV capability.

Other cellular phone manufacturers like Samsung are also geared towards introducing new handsets that are Mobile TV capable.

The new mobile TV service differs from (video streaming and video-downloads) services currently offered through 3G networks. 3G allows video streaming for example, that delivers video content to individual phone users using cellular network.

Mobile TV on the other hand is not transmitted through the cellular network. It is a broadcast service that delivers content to viewers simultaneously through a digital TV broadcast signal optimized for mobile devices, just like the way a conventional TV service delivers a TV signal to homes.