Nokia has unveiled its own mobile television channel to be released on 1 October – the same day as the new N96, Mobile Today said.
The channel aims to market and demonstrate the N96 handset in a series of 96-second programmes.
The six programmes will follow themes of; motoring, fashion, gadgets, comedy, culture and homes.
Nokia seems set to challenge the iPhone as a champion of the multimedia sector. Recently, the manufacturer announced a partnership with the BBC that will allow N96 users to watch the BBC iPlayer. It also announced Nokia Comes With Music at the beginning of the month.
Despite the limited success of mobile TV through 3G networks, operators still haven’t given up on the opportunity. Earlier this year, T-Mobile and Orange announced a trial of technology called TdTV.
Vodafone has probably been the most active operator in mobile TV. It was the first to launch a service two-and-a-half years ago, in partnership with Sky.
Vodafone still offers live streaming of a number of Sky channels, including Sky Sports and Sky News, as well as other channels including ITV. However, despite free trial periods, the operator has been struggling to get subscriber figures to the service beyond 250,000, according to industry insiders.
The content Vodafone offers appears to be appealing to customers, however. Mike Eaton, Vodafone’s head of internet services, says that people mostly use their mobile to watch sports, news and live events.
Mobile TV usage figures from market research company GfK are even less encouraging, showing that only 0.5% of all users in the UK watch.
