14 DAY TRIAL // Telstra will make it possible for people living in Australia to benefit from the possibilities of mobile TV too from now on. With BigPond TV, users of this company's 3G and Next G networks will be able to watch programs on their handsets, just as many others across the globe who already do that.
A TV model can be seen at this time too on cell phones, although Telstra's solution will be one especially designed for this type of use. Many people are questioning the success that such a service will have in Australia, although Telstra is pretty confident. They expect people to use this possibility only on a rare basis, as it proves to be quite expensive and not nearly as entertaining as the classic one.
Mobile TV services are not designed to replace regular TV sets, as they come with serious drawbacks and are not capable of the same performances. Still, this is seen as an emergency solution, when a regular TV is not available, but the phone owner just has to watch a certain broadcast.
"Mobile TV is one service offering where HSDPA can bring a dramatic enhancement of the user experience", said market house Ovum researcher Nathan Burley. Considering the fact that this type of service is based on 3G, a more evolved version of it could bring better results in making mobile TV popular among users at a large scale.
Monthly subscription for this type of services will range from USD 10 to USD 20 a month, depending on the number of clips available for subscribers. The fact that the service is grounded in the 3G performances of the Australian network gives it quite high chances of being successful in time. Statistics show that by the end of the year 30 percent of mobile connections will be 3G, raising up to 70 percent by the end of year 2010.