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Live TV for mobiles coming to the UK this year

Posted: 14/02/06 By: Jemima Kiss
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Virgin Mobile customers will be the first people in the UK able to sign up for live digital TV on their mobile phones.

The service will launch later this year with 24-hour TV and a choice of more than 350 digital radio stations.

BT worked with Microsoft to incorporate Windows Media Digital Rights Management technology in the service, which prevents users from copying and distributing content illegally. The service will be distributed through the existing digital audio broadcasting network.

"Virgin Mobile customers will be the first people in Europe to watch real broadcast TV over their mobile phones," said Graeme Hutchinson, sales and marketing director of Virgin Mobile.

"It's not downloaded, it's not looped, it's real TV just like you get at home, and it's real DAB digital radio - crystal clear sound."

A new handset has been launched for the service - dubbed a 'tellyphone'. The Trilogy phone was developed jointly by BT, the Technology
Partnership and the High Tech Computer Corporation and features a 2.2 inch screen. It is being promoted as the world's first DAB-IP enabled phone.

BT Movio was trialled at the end of 2005 by 1,000 'tellyphone' users in the M25 area. Seventy-three per cent of users said they would pay for the service on their own network and 38 per cent said they would switch networks to sign up.

• The BBC also announced a deal last week to provide clips of popular comedy shows for Orange users.