Thursday, July 26, 2007 Smart, Mediaquest to offer mobile TV
MEDIAQUEST Holdings and Smart Wireless Communications has earmarked U$50 million to fund the operations and roll-out of the first commercial mobile TV in the country.
MediaQuest Orlando B. Vea said the US$50 million investment spread over in three years would fund the operations and implementation of the mobile TV, which they branded as myTV.
MediaQuest Holdings is a wholly owned subsidiary of the PLDT beneficial Fund.
The service will enable mobile phone users to watch their favorite television programs anytime, anywhere, Vea said. Among the channels that can be viewed are Cable News Network (CNN), MTV Philippines, Cartoon Network, National Geographic, Pinoy Box Office, History Channel, Solar Sports, basketball TV, ETC and Jack TV. They are also set to carry the PBA games live beginning with its upcoming season.
But according to Smart Communications president Napoleon Nazareno, the US$50 million capital expenses for myTV do not include the share of Smart, which covers the infrastructure.
"Smart investment was not included in the US$50 million (capex)," Nazareno told reporters during the launching of myTV Tuesday at the NBC Tent in Taguig City.
Vea said initially there would be more than 10 channels including the top rated (local) TV channels that would be made available in the myTV subscribers which will be provided to both post-paid and pre-paid subscribers of Smart.
MyTV service is being broadcast using the mobile TV platform called Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld or DVB-H and it can be accessed using DVBH-capable handset such as N92 and the upcoming N77.
For this year, Smart is looking at 60,000 to 70,000 initial subscribers of myTV in the next few months.
"This is expected to increase exponentially over the next few years," said Danilo Mojica, head of Smart wireless consumer division.
He said the mobile TV package will be an additional cost to the users which was placed at P488 per month for post-paid while for pre-paid subscribers, they need to maintain P1 airtime load on top of the P488 monthly myTV package to avail of the service.
Initially, myTV can be viewed in Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, Tagaytay, Batangas, and Baquio City and will soon be available in Boracay and Cagayan de Oro.
On the other hand, Nazareno assured users of video streaming that myTV will not affect their operations.
"Video streaming will continue in parallel with myTV because myTV cater particularly to the need for viewing television," he said.
For his part, Vea said the birth of myTV would not mean that it would be replacing video streaming or other services that allows handheld users to view their favorite video.
The mobile TV concept started last year, with its first test broadcast last April 15 featuring the fight between Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao and Mexican fighter Jorge Solis. (MSN/Sunnex)
