14 DAY TRIAL // Modeo were not doing so great the last time we heard of them. Their president, Michael Schueppert resigned, was replaced by vice president of marketing and business development Michael Ramke and due to that or to the fact that Modeo was not successful in finding a carrier partner for their TV service, the New York City launch, scheduled to take place by the end of 2006, was delayed.
Apart from that, Qualcomm Inc.'s MediaFlo has already gained a few supporting carrier partners including Verizon Wireless and Sprint, while Cingular and T-Mobile are still finalizing their plans for mobile TV, and its highly anticipated release is planned for the first quarter of this year.
And now, just a short time later, Modeo seems to be ready to go live with their mobile Tv service trial in New York City, or 'commercial beta launch' as they have called it. The beta service will be only be available for a select group which will include several hundred users that will test Modeo's service, including audio and video content, and is expected to be announced at CES, despite Modeo's plans for a trial before the end of last year.
While set to launch, Modeo has not yet announced any partnership with mobile carriers or a timeline for when the service will be available outside of New York as well, although the launch can provide a good way to getting a carrier deal.
The beta group will be using Modeo's HTC manufactured DVB-H smartphones and will be providing Modeo with feedback throughout the first quarter.