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AT&T’s MediaFlo Mobile TV Service To Launch Next Week; Pricing Will Make It DOA

By Rafat Ali - Wed 30 Apr 2008 11:34 PM PST

AT&T (NYSE: T) Wireless will finally launch its much delayed mobile TV broadcasting service next week, and it has made all the necessary moves to make sure it never really takes off, including high end pricing of the service and limited handsets. It is being run on Qualcomm’s (NSDQ: QCOM) MediaFlo network, the same one used by the still-underwhelming service by Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless.

The details, culled from this WSJ story:
-- Available in 58 markets, including most big cities,
-- Programming from major TV networks, including CBS (NYSE: CBS), Comedy Central, NBC and Fox, with some simulcast of what’s on TV, and a little more than half will be delayed from the TV airtime. T
-- The lineup of 150 programs includes popular shows such as CBS’s “CSI” and Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.”
-- AT&T will have exclusive mobile rights to CNN content. Also, it will have a movie channel called PIX, from Sony (NYSE: SNE) Pictures Television.
-- Some more feature sets are described in this RCR story.

Then the pricing, which will cap the expansion of the still very-nascent market: only two new AT&T handsets, including LG Electronics’ (SEO: 066570) Vu, which has a large touchscreen, will sell for $300 with a two-year service contract and a mail-in rebate. The Samsung Access will be $200. In addition, the starter TV package is $15 a month for unlimited access to TV. A $30-a-month plan adds additional features, including Web browsing. This is all on top of the voice and data plans. Yep, killer and content.

Posted in: Companies, AT&T, Media, TV, Mobile

Tags: mediaflo

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1 Response:
  • From DeWayne A. Nelon Thu 01 May 2008 10:21 AM

    Exchanging scarcity of spectrum for scarcity of content (at a premium price!) is not the answer.  There are plenty of people working on the underlying technical and economic issues of mobile video that will obviate the need for a broadcast-only solution.  Broadcast will likely be a part of the long term solution but not at these prices.  Consumers should not be expected to make the choice between broadcast, multi-cast, or uni-cast.  The delivery system(s) must be able make the correct choice for them (based on the content selected) freeing the consumer to simply make their content choice.

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