BT Signs Virgin Mobile for Mobile TV

By Tara Seals

Virgin Mobile UK will use BT Group’s Movio wholesale mobile TV product to offer up to five digital television channels and 350 radio channels in the United Kingdom beginning this summer.

Virgin Mobile, Britains fourth-largest mobile operator and widely considered a target for takeover, will be BTs first customer for wholesale mobile TV. A trial conducted by BT and Virgin released last month showed that two-thirds of 1,000 users would be prepared to pay up to an equivalent of $14 per month for the service.

BT Movio is based on the digital audio broadcast (DAB) platform, which boosters say doesnt have the spectrum limitations holding back competing technologies like DVB-H, yet can offer the capacity necessary for scalable live television, unlike todays 3G network.

The offer initially will be available on the Triology handset manufactured by Taiwanese smart phone maker HTC.

BT Group plc

www.bt.com



Virgin Mobile UK www.virginmobile.co.uk