German Mobile 3.0 service to close down

Just a few months after its start, the German mobile TV operator Mobile 3.0 is said to be closing down , according to a report on the online version of the Handelsblatt. The main reason is the refusal of mobile operators to sell hand sets equipped for DVB-H reception.

Earlier this year, Mobile 3.0 was issued with a nationwide licence to start offering a DVB-H pay service (see Broadband TV News passim). The company is owned by a consortium including the Burda and Holtzbrinck publishing firms and Naspers of South Africa.

At the moment, Mobile 3.0 broadcasts in four cities with linear TV channels and radio stations, but has trouble finding customers. According to the report, which was published in a title owned by one of the Mobile 3.0 consortium members, the company plans to shut down operations soon.

Earlier this year, Vodafone brought two mobile phones on the market with a built-in DVB-T tuner, reception of which does not require a subscription as with the Mobile 3.0 DVB-H service (see an earlier report in Broadband TV News and also more here)