Sprint, SolidStreaming To Develop Streaming Wireless

Sprint PCS and SolidStreaming Monday announced an agreement to begin testing wireless multimedia streaming services later this year.

SolidStreaming’s software will enable Sprint PCS to offer real-time streaming video, audio and text to future multimedia-enabled second-generation wireless devices. Additionally, SolidStreaming and Sprint PCS will test MPEG-4 software to service the 3G market.

Initially, services may include business, sports, and general news clips, location-based multimedia services, live on-demand radio, video email, multimedia enhanced shopping services, and entertainment content such as movie trailers and cartoons. The trend toward larger, high resolution and full color screens on wireless phones, as well as other mobile multimedia devices with more memory and processing power will make it possible to see clear pictures combined with audio to create an intimate multimedia experience. Still in the testing phases of development, the companies have not announced a specific timeframe for commercial availability.

“Through our alliance with SolidStreaming, Sprint PCS continues to innovate and deliver cutting-edge services to our customers,” said Chip Novick, vice president, Consumer Marketing for Sprint PCS. “The ability to provide multimedia audio and video services over a Sprint PCS Phone is a significant leap in the evolution of wireless data and the devices that carry that data.”

“Delivery of multimedia content to wireless handsets is the next step in the evolution of the wireless Internet. The ability to deliver media-rich content through wireless handsets will allow for more creative access to information by end-users as well as create additional sources of revenue for the carrier community,” says Edward Bronson, SolidStreaming CEO. “Our 2G solution is the first of several products we have developed to deliver such content. Our 2.5G and 3G solutions, which are MPEG-4 based, will further enhance the delivery of such information as more advanced handsets enter the marketplace.”