It has been long time coming, but those technological seeds planted a few years ago are now beginning to sprout and Mobile Phone TV is not longer a dream, but a reality.

Put simply, this technology enables you to watch their favourite TV programs whenever and wherever through your 3G handset. Just imagine being able to keep up with the latest scores, watch your favourite music videos, or keep up to date with the day’s news at the touch of a button and you’ll get the idea.

How and what you get to see depends on what your network service provider has to offer. As a 3 or Orange customer, you will find your selection somewhat limited, a price paid for being the first to introduce the technology. If you are on O2, your options more closely match the currently available terrestrial services. Vodafone on the other hand provides you with the most impressive service to date after a contract with Sky.

The deal with Sky means that as a Vodafone customer you are able to choose between News & Sports (CNN, Sky Sports News, etc) or Music & Entertainment (MTV, Bravo, etc). With even more options becoming available as the service matures.

Mobile TV is available now, and until January 31 Vodafone are providing this service free of charge.

A word of caution - At present there are two ways of receiving TV on your mobile phone. The first is the method currently in use by the major networks and is based on data streams over a 3G network. The second and less popular method is DVB-H, which is in essence the mobile phone equivalent of Freeview. Due to the differences, you can not use a DVB-H enabled mobile phone to watch streamed media.

Marco Barra is part of the Digital Phone Company team, a leading independent provider of mobile phones serving over 30,000 customers across East Anglia through a network of 11 retail outlets and a team of dedicated Business to Business consultants. www.digital-phone.co.uk

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