Vodafone, BBC to Offer Text, Video for Cellphones
LONDON (Reuters) - Vodafone AirTouch Plc said on Thursday it would work with the BBC to offer text, audio and video services -- such as news and sport -- for mobile telephones in Britain.
The service will begin in its simplest form, as short text messages, early next year. Vodafone shares were 2.5 percent up at 306-1/4 pence.
The continuously updated news, sport, entertainment and business services will later make use of new technologies which will link mobile phones and other portable devices to the Internet.
``Vodafone envisages that in the future more people will be watching the news via their mobile phone than at home in front of their TV set,' said Alan Harper, a Vodafone director.
``We want to make our journalism available to people where ever they are and whenever they want it,' said BBC News Chief Executive Tony Hall.
``This landmark deal, with the biggest mobile phone operator, will help achieve our strategic aim of becoming the leading provider of news in this exciting new market.'
Using the Vodafone Interactive service and a personal preference page at Vodafone.net, users will be able to choose to receive top international and domestic news as text messages.
The service will be extended later next year to offer news tailored to personal interests or concentrating on a particular news story as it unfolds.
Internet-enabled phones, which are coming to market now, will allow customers to see graphics, hear audio reports and at a later stage watch video clips.
``By 2002, the introduction of third generation mobile phones with full multimedia capabilities will allow complete broadband access to Internet services, so customers will also be able to hear and see audio and video news stories on demand using voice-activated commands,' the companies said. |
