In a surprise move, Vodafone and BSkyB have announced a Mobile TV service for users of Vodafone’s 3G service. Best of all is the price: free until January 2006, and then only £5 a month afterwards. A fiver for telly anwyhere? Count me in!

All Vodafone 3G customers will be able to use the service as all Vodafone 3G phones are compatible. The television programmes aren’t bad either: not just your standard 5 minute ‘mobisode’ that’s traditionally been promoted, these are (mostly) proper programmes you’d see on SkyTV.

 

 

 

There are two Sky Mobile TV packs users can choose from:

• News, Sport & Factual: Sky News; CNN; Bloomberg; Sky Sports News; At The Races;
  Discovery Factual; National Geographic Channel; History Channel.
• Entertainment & Music: Sky One; Sky Movies; MTV (two channels*); Living tv;
  Discovery Lifestyle; Nickelodeon; Paramount Comedy**; Cartoon Network; Bravo;
  Biography Channel

Each will cost £5 a month after the current deal ends, but £5 for each pack is cracking value given the amount of data that will be streamed to a phone. What’s really surprising is when this service begins: today! Mobile TV has been talked about for some time now, the expectation being that it will take off later next year, but Vodafone and Sky have really stolen a march on the competition here. I now have a reason to go 3G!