Broadband Briefs for 1/6/10
• Flo TV’s mobile TV hits iPhone
By Maisie Ramsay, Wireless Week
Flo TV has teamed up with accessory-maker mophie to bring mobile television to the iPhone and iPod Touch.
Flo TV’s mobile television receiver will be built in to mophie’s back-up battery case, allowing iPhone and iPod Touch users to watch live television on their device with the flip of a switch. Flo TV says the Apple-certified cases are expected to begin shipping in the first half of 2010.
"We are uniting our vision of advancing mobile TV across a range of devices and platforms with mophie's unrivaled expertise in designing intelligent cases for Apple users," said Bill Stone, president of Flo TV. "Together, our solution will be a true live mobile TV product available to iPhone and iPod Touch users."
Flo TV, a subsidiary of Qualcomm, has struggled to raise the profile of its mobile television service. It has expanded its existing partnerships with AT&T and Verizon Wireless and launched its own mobile television device in an effort to increase consumer adoption. The service has been hampered by low resolution, limited availability and a small channel lineup.