CTIA: Cingular selects Real for TV platform

SAN FRANCISCO—Cingular today revealed it would use RealNetworks Helix platform to power TV and other streaming video services over its new UMTS/High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) networks scheduled for launch by the end of the year.

While Real has deployed its Helix servers with dozens of carriers around the world, all of those launches have been to support specific video applications, in many cases its own R-TV and Rhapsody streaming video and audio services. Cingular’s launch is the first to use the Helix platform as an end-to-end video delivery solution, off of which the operator will launch all of its TV services, said Kevin Nakao, general manager of Real’s mobile division.

Cingular is already a Real customer, using its R-TV service on AT&T Wireless’s mMode deck, but R-TV is not a guaranteed component of the new unified UMTS data service, which Cingular is expected to launch early next year. The Real Helix OnlineTV platform will act as the central broker for all video content delivered over the Cingular 3G network, Nakao said, with Real acting not only as the core technology provider but as the network host.

“[Video providers] won’t have to use their own servers,” Nakao said. “We can take their content anyway they send it to us.”

The platform consists of Helix Mobile Server, the central repository for video content, Helix’s line of gateways, its DNA handset clients and an application called the Mobile Producer, which handles integration of different content sources. Nakao said since the platform is being built specifically for Cingular’s 3G service, it will have much higher resolutions and frame rates than a typical TV platform operating over current 2.5G networks. But the platform will also adjust performance specifications as customers roam onto slower networks.

The Real contract was the second multimedia deal Cingular has announced in so many days. On Monday Cingular launched a music portal with Billboard called Billboard Mobile. The service incorporates Billboards charts, music news and concert info with a ringtones store. While not a unique service, the Billboard service is another element in the growing portfolio of music applications Cingular has been building up in anticipation of its impending 3G launch. Cingular is expected to rollout 15 to 20 UMTS markets—inclusive of the six networks launched by AT&T Wireless last year—by year end and roll the network out nationally in 2006.

Cingular’s biggest music play, however, was earlier this month when it launched the iTunes-powered Motorola ROKR. The 100-song integrated digital music player has drawn criticism for its lack of network connectivity, but Cingular vice president of mobile browser services said it’s a mistake to look at the ROKR in isolation. The ROKR will act as a transitional device targeting the way customers currently use digital music players—as extensions of their PCs. Cingular maintains other music services like a Loudeye-powered music store on its AT&T network, which allows customers to preview and buys songs over the mobile network for later download to a PC. Cingular is adding more and more elements like the music store, the ROKR and the Billboard and other music portals, which eventually form a larger music strategy, Hall said. What that overall larger strategy is Cingular isn’t prepared to comment on though, Hall added.

“Right now we’re trying to get our customers thinking about music on the phone,” Hall said. “Ultimately we plan to offer music from a variety of partners.”

In other news at CTIA, Cingular announced it would first U.S. carrier to offer one of Nokia’s new BlackBerry Connect devices, the Nokia 9300. Nokia has licensed RIM’s BlackBerry software for several of its devices but has also launched a competing mobile e-mail service built off a Java platform.