Streaming Wireless Video Seen In 2nd Half

By Joseph Palenchar On Apr 7 2003 - 6:00am

Wireless streaming video, known in simpler times as TV, could come to cellphones in the second half, suppliers said during the CTIA show.

Qualcomm chips that support streaming video will be available in nine to 12 months, possibly in time for Sprint PCS to offer streaming video by the end of this year, said Chip Novick, Sprint PCS's consumer marketing VP. Sprint already offers a service that streams a slide show with audio to cellphones.

Meantime, a RealNetworks executive said he expects U.S. carriers to offer streaming video in 2003, probably in the second half. Carriers could implement streaming video over their GPRS data networks or CDMA 1X networks rather than wait to launch higher speed EDGE or 1X EV-DO services, said mobile strategy and marketing director Mark Donovan.

EDGE promises average rates of about 192Kbps. 1X EV-DO service could easily deliver data at rates that could peak at more than 1.1Mbps, said Verizon.

Verizon plans late-summer commercial trials of EV-DO service in San Diego and Washington. U.S. GSM/GPRS carriers AT&T, Cingular and T-Mobile will launch EDGE commercially in the second half, according to the EDGE Operators Forum, a coalition of carriers and vendors.