Arqiva and O2 partnered to conduct a consumer trial of 24-hour, live TV service giving access to 16 digital TV channels. The trial was also conducted with the assistance of Nokia and Harris.

The trial,  revealed a high level of consumer interest in a commercial mobile broadcasting service in the UK. Final results showed that 87% of triallists were satisfied with the end-to end service provided. In addition, 72% of triallists indicated that they would take up the service within 12 months.

Highlights from the trial included indications that the 375 triallists were choosing to access TV on their mobiles for an average of 22 minutes per session, with one to two sessions per day.  Overall, triallists were viewing for around an average of three hours per week, with one group of enthusiasts viewing over five hours per week.  Demand was highest in the morning and in the early evening, with viewers using the service mainly on the commute, at home and at work.

The strong channel line-up on offer, which included all five UK analogue channels (BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4 and five), coupled with channels from Sky, MTV and other content providers, proved to be a key factor in the high satisfaction levels. Ease of use and high picture and sound quality were additional factors.

Demand for additional multimedia services was high including digital radio, interactive services and 'live' links to channel websites.

For more detailed information on the results, download the final results pdf.