TV broadcasters in 22 US cities have announced that they will begin broadcasting programmes to mobile devices in what could become a major alternative to mobile operator-led TV services. Unlike mobile TV services that stream over mobile networks or use a purposely built platform – such as Qualcomm’s MediaFLO – the TV broadcasters intend to use existing technology installed as part of the digital TV transition to broadcast to a range of devices, including mobile phones, MP3 players and GPS systems. The initiative is being led by the Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC), the mobile TV broadcaster association, and is likely to offer free services such as local news, weather and traffic updates. The broadcasts are expected to launch later this year. The 22 cities include New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston, Washington and Atlanta, and will cover around 35 percent of US households. 

According to an Associated Press report, one challenge for the new broadcast services will be the lack of compatible devices that work with the new signals. Some prototypes were showcased at this week’s CES show in Las Vegas but there are no firm launch dates for compatible products. However, the OMVC said it expected to soon make some deals with US mobile operators regarding the launch of such devices. In separate news, Qualcomm announced it is working with its mobile operator partners to launch MediaFLO in major US markets including Boston, Cleveland, Houston, Miami and San Francisco this year using spectrum freed-up from the digital TV transition.