CTIA: Cingular launches video calling

ORLANDO--AT&T at CTIA Wireless 2007 launched a video calling service that allows customers with 3G phones to send a live video feed to another cell phone user while in the middle of a phone call.

While not a true real-time video conferencing service because the video and voice are sent on separate channels, the service is much more robust than the other video communications services carriers have launched in the past. Standard MMS allows customers to record video and package it in a multimedia message, but AT&T’s Video Share application allows them to initiate the video stream in the middle of a phone call and switch the direction of the video stream mid-conversation. The result is that customers can approximate a live video call that--though one way at any given moment--can be toggled between users.

While it demonstrated the technology at CTIA Wireless, AT&T will roll out the service this summer to its Cingular customers in 50 U.S. markets. It did not offer up any pricing details, or say over which UMTS phones the service would be available.