Cingular Gets Real

RealNetworks is offering a streaming video service to mobile operators, and Cingular Wireless will use the service, the companies have announced.

TV to Go

With Real's Helix OnlineTV, mobile operators can offer customers multichannel video, interactive video, streaming radio, ringtones, and mobile games. Real will host the mobile service for Cingular, starting when the operator introduces its 3G network later this year.

OnlineTV will be available to landline, mobile, Wi-Fi, and (later on) WiMax operators, as well as to users of future mobile TV transmission technologies such as Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld and MediaFlo.

Cingular currently offers mobile television services through MobiTV, a company that streams content from a host of television channels over cellular networks.

More Mobile Media

Siemens AG also introduced a mobile TV service on Wednesday. Operator customers can use Siemens Media Delivery Solution to schedule video programming that starts at a certain time or that customers can stream or download on demand.

The platform also supports interactive services. Currently, mobile operators can use it; and in the future, it will permit delivery of content via DVB-H networks.