Qualcomm and BSkyB Bringing MediaFLO Mobile Broadcasting to Britain

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Qualcomm and BSkyB Bringing MediaFLO Mobile Broadcasting to Britain

12:40 am on May 10, 2006 | Category: Wireless Technology, Television, Cellular

Wireless chipmaker, Qualcomm, and News Corp.’s British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) have announced a joint agreement to test MediaFLO wireless television technology in the United Kingdom.

Technical trials are expected to be rolled out sometime this summer, featuring 10 channels of BSkyB content on a number of non-commercial test devices.

The trials will give BSkyB an opportunity to evaluate the Forward Link Only (FLO)-based wireless multicasting technology, as a way to get its programming on the screens of mobile phones.

“BSkyB is committed to offering customers flexible ways to enjoy our services,” said the company’s director of business development, Stephen Nuttall. “We have led the way in the delivery of mobile TV over existing platforms, and we look forward to working with Qualcomm in this technical trial to evaluate the potential of MediaFLO.”

This is just the latest deal in BSkyB’s ongoing quest to move beyond just television, and into internet and mobile broadcasting as well.