DoCoMo to Offer 3G Video

Japan’s NTT DoCoMo said Tuesday that it has developed technology that will provide live video streaming to customers of its forthcoming third-generation (3G) wireless service, although it did not commit to making the technology commercially available.

The company said it developed the technology with U.S.-based PacketVideo Corporation. The companies started co-developing the platform last January, according to DoCoMo.

The company has said that it expects to fully roll out 3G services, which it calls FOMA, in October. The service currently is in beta besting. The streaming video platform, which DoCoMo has named FOMA Live-Video Distribution Platform, uses MPEG-4 streaming technology, which DoCoMo claims will enable it to stream video to wireless handhelds as well as compliant handsets.

The company said it will set up a consortium of 32 organizations to conduct trials of the technology. The group also will develop and study new applications for the video delivery system and will determine whether the service is marketable.

The actual field trials will start October 1 and will run through next February, DoCoMo said.