Verizon Wireless V CAST TV Goes Live
Thursday marked the beginning of Verizon Wireless' V CAST mobile TV service in twenty US markets, utilizing Qualcomm's MediaFLO mobile TV network. With the aim of giving potential competitors such as DVB-H and mobile IPTV a run for their money, this extension to Verizon's existing V CAST service will be capable of broadcasting standard TV-quality programming to specific handsets, namely the Samsung SCH-U260 and soon the LG VX9400.
The 20 initial markets on Verizon's list are as follows: Norfolk/Richmond, Virginia; Jacksonville, Florida; New Orleans, Louisiana; Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas; St. Louis, Missouri; Chicago, Illinois; Indianapolis, Indiana; Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota; Wichita, Kansas; Omaha/Lincoln, Nebraska; Colorado Springs and Denver, Colorado; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Tucson, Arizona; Las Vegas, Nevada; Palm Springs, California; Portland, Oregon; Seattle and Spokane, Washington.
More major markets are purported to be added before the end of the first quarter.
V CAST channels include special just-for-phone versions of popular CBS, NBC and FOX programs, as well as live feeds from MTV, Comedy Central, ESPN, and Nickelodeon. Customers who wish to subscribe to the service should expect to pay an additional USD$15 per month.
Qualcomm's MediaFlo service has also been adopted by AT&T/Cingular, which is finalizing plans to launch its own MediaFLO service later this year.