Verizon Vcast Mobile TV details

Verizon Wireless launched its streaming mobile TV service last week with little of the expected fanfare. The service, dubbed Vcast Mobile TV, uses MediaFLO USA Inc.’s technology and network, with Verizon Wireless initially offering the service in 20 markets across the country.
The service begins at $13 per month for Fox Mobile, NBC, NBC News and CBS Mobile channels. For an additional $2 per month customers can add Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon and ESPN as part of the “Basic” plan. For $25 per month, customers can get the “Select” offering that builds on the “Basic” plan by including the rest of Verizon Wireless’ Vcast options such as Vcast video clips and mobile Web use. Separately, the Vcast Vpack runs $15 per month.
Wireless carriers have dabbled in mobile TV offerings, whether through live services running over their traditional cellular networks with offerings from MobiTV or from video clips from certain shows, like Jay Leno’s monologue from the Tonight Show. But Verizon Wireless’ launch marks the beginning of a full-fledged effort for carriers to offer robust TV services to their customers using a dedicated network.
Earlier this year Verizon Wireless announced it will offer two mobile television-capable handsets, the SCH-u620 from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and the VX9400 from LG Electronics Co. Ltd. The Samsung handset is now available via the Web and in stores in the launched markets; on the carrier’s Web site, the handset is offered for $150 after a $50 online discount. Verizon Wireless spokesman Jeffrey Nelson said that the carrier expects to offer the LG mobile TV handset “in a few weeks.”
The 20 live markets are: Chicago; Denver and Colorado Springs, Colo.; New Orleans; Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas; Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.; Seattle-Tacoma and Spokane, Wash.; Tucson, Ariz.; Albuquerque and Santa Fe, N.M.; Omaha-Lincoln, Neb.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Norfolk-Richmond, Va.; Salt Lake City; Palm Springs, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; Wichita, Kan.; Las Vegas.; and Kansas City and St. Louis, Mo.
Nelson said that the initial markets were determined in part by where MediaFLO USA “had the rights to use the spectrum and set up the infrastructure for us to use.” Qualcomm’s Inc., which owns MediaFLO, is spending $800 million to build out markets where it owns spectrum in the 700 MHz band.
“We expect to continue rolling out as quickly as possible, as airwaves are cleared and testing is conducted on the FLO sites, then we’ll go live,” Nelson said.
AT&T Inc.’s Cingular Wireless L.L.C. announced last month that it will use the MediaFLO network for mobile TV, and plans to launch commercial services late this year.