Asia Times Online - The trusted news source for information on Japan

Japan

Mobile, SK begin service in Japan, South Korea

TOKYO - Mobile Broadcasting Corp and South Korea's SK Telecom will both begin services in July broadcasting multiple channels of audio and video programming to mobile devices from a jointly owned communications satellite.

Mobile Broadcasting was set up in 1998 by Toshiba Corp, Toyota Motor Corp and other firms including SK Telecom to operate a business using the 2.6 Gigahertz S-band to broadcast content to cellular phones, car audio systems and portable televisions. The satellite for this service is scheduled for launch in February.

Once in orbit and ready for use, Mobile Broadcasting will broadcast content for audiences in Japan, and SK Telecom will lead a consortium to broadcast content for audiences in South Korea.

The plan is to offer a wide range of content, including sports, dramas, news and music. The broadcasts will be sent down to both countries using the same frequencies, but with a technology that prevents the mixing of signals.

For its audience in Japan, Mobile Broadcasting plans to start with a menu of around 40 channels of both television and radio broadcasts. The programming will include popular Korean music shows and dramas.

The service will be available free of charge for the first one or two months. But after that, Mobile Broadcasting plans to charge listeners and viewers a monthly fee of around 1,000 yen (US$9.48) to 2,000 yen.

Toshiba and other manufacturers will mass-produce the receivers needed to access the content from cell phones and other mobile devices.

(Asia Pulse/Nikkei)

Feb 4, 2004

No material from Asia Times Online may be republished in any form without written permission.

Privacy and Legal Policies