O2 and Arqiva have today announced the first consumer trial of broadcast mobile TV in Ireland. Beginning in December 2006, the trial plans to include the live broadcast of the main Irish TV channels. Sky content and other TV channels will also be available.

O2 will be the first mobile operator in Ireland to trial broadcast mobile TV, commencing with an initial technology trial in December. From January 2007, the trial will be expanded to include four hundred O2 Ireland customers in the Greater Dublin area who will experience broadcast TV on their mobile phones for an 8 month period, allowing users to flick between TV channels on their mobile, just as they would do if watching TV at home. Arqiva will operate the broadcast technology for the trial.

The trial will be conducted using state of the art Nokia N92 mobile TV handsets. As part of the trial, customers will also be able to interact with some channels, including a music video channel and games channel.

O2 has already conducted initial demonstrations of broadcast mobile TV at the Ryder Cup in the K-Club, where an informal exhibition of how the service will work was staged by showing RTE 1, RTE 2, TV3, TG4 and Sky content.

Discussing the mobile TV trial, Danuta Gray, Chief Executive - O2 Ireland, said: "O2 is delighted to be first in Ireland to trial live broadcast television to customers on their mobile phones. This latest innovation in the wider communications sector is set to play a key role in the future of mobile technology. Mobile television will greatly enhance the range of services to users and is an exciting progression towards the mobile phone becoming a more advanced, multi-faceted communications tool. The convergence of mobile phones and broadcast media also offers business opportunities for the organisations involved in both sectors and will no doubt lead to exciting initiatives in the future".

Pat Walls, General Manager for Arqiva Ireland, commented, "Arqiva has  considerable experience in mobile broadcasting, having taken part in a range of trials across a variety of standards in the UK. We look forward to making the most of this experience to bring mobile TV to consumers in Ireland."

The trial will use Digital Video Broadcasting - Handheld (DVB-H) technology. DVB-H is a technology based on the same principle as digital terrestrial broadcast television, which has no limitations on the number of simultaneous viewers. The technology offers improved picture and audio quality on mobile handsets and allows users to flick between TV channels on their mobile phone, just as they would do if watching TV at home.

Earlier this year, O2 was awarded the licence to run trials involving the broadcast of live television programming through mobile phones. The licence was awarded by ComReg.

A full report on the outputs of the trials will be presented to the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and ComReg in 2007.