Where’s My Mobile TV?

If you’re wondering what’s taking so long for mobile TV to hit U.S. phones, you’re not alone. The Associated Press posted a good roundup of the state of mobile TV—in short, it’s still at the starting gate.

Cell phones sold in Japan, for example, can tune into free TV broadcasts the same way a regular television in the U.S. can. But here, only a select few phones do it—if you see a brand new cell phone with a 1990′s style pull-out antenna, that’s a mobile TV phone. And not only that, but wireless carriers charge monthly fees for the service on top of whatever you are already paying for voice, messaging, and data.

According to a newly released Pew Internet & American Life Project survey, only 3 percent of Americans regularly watched video on their cell phones last month, the article said. That includes short “snack-sized” clips in addition to the longer-form broadcasts that are beginning to appear. In a nutshell, mobile TV will probably take off in the U.S. the moment it moves to a free, ad-supported model. For now, it’s destined to remain a niche service.

(Image credit: AT&T Wireless)

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