MultiChoice Kenya is to drop its DVB-H service from September 1.
Branded as DStv Mobile and GoTV Mobile, the company first launched the mobile TV service in Southern Africa in 2007, before launching in the Kenyan market four years later.
DVB-H (the H indicating Handheld) was once the darling of the DVB project. However, it failed to gain wider acceptance and has now been superseded by various mobile apps available over 4G and 3G telecoms platforms.
“Our Mobile TV service was first launched in 2007. At the time, we were the first to pioneer technology to broadcast to mobile phones. However, as technology has evolved, and with the introduction of broadband, the streaming of audiovisual content to multiple devices (eg smartphones, tablets, laptops) has become more attractive,” said a Multichoice statement released to Business Daily.
Earlier DVB-H services launched in Finland, Poland and Italy have already folded.
Multichoice subscribers will be pointed in the direction of its own DStv Now app.
