Cape Town – Multichoice is working on a trial that will allow DStv programmes to be viewed on a mobile device.

A technology, called digital video broadcasting – handheld (DVB-H) – will deliver high quality video to a cellphone and, unlike streaming services, is not affected by the number of users accessing the service.

M-Mobile CEO Linda Vermaas, quoted on ITWeb, said: “Broadcast standards use frequency bands that are dedicated to broadcasting, and can be received by mobile phones.”

The technology will also allow a range of other handheld devices to receive broadcasts.

M-Mobile is a new division of Multichoice that has been formed to manage the technical trial with a closed pilot group based in Gauteng. Nokia has said the phone is “not commercially available” and has not given any indication when it will be.

The phone has a special receiver which enables it to receive a DVB-H broadcast signal.

The DVB-H standard was formally adopted in 2004 and testing started almost immediately.

In order to maximise the battery life of mobile devices a technology called time slicing was developed.

This allows devices to receive data in bursts rather than in a continuous stream which has significant power saving benefits.

DVB-H also allows a content provider to broadcast custom content relevant to a programme, such as shopping information, but M-Mobile has not confirmed whether it aims to make use of this.

Vermaas has not indicated when the service will be available and whether M-Mobile will partner with any of South Africa’s mobile providers.

“This is only a technical trial (and not) a product roll-out.”

South Africa won’t be the first to roll-out the technology as commercial launches of DVB-H services are expected in the USA and Italy later this year.

Analysts expect to see 100 million DVB-H capable handsets in 2007 and over 300 million by the end of the decade.