Tre Italy's mobile TV easiest to buy and use

November 16, 2006

Strategy Analytics, the global research and consulting company, recently released, "Mobile TV Italy: Tre Has Best DVB-H Offering, But Weak POS Strategy Risks Limiting Uptake," its latest end user applications benchmark which concludes that users rated Tre's "Tua" Mobile TV as the best service available in Italy. Tre's DVB-H Mobile TV service was rated marginally ahead of the DVB-H offering from TIM and outscored a 3G video download service. However, despite the relatively advanced stage of development of mobile TV in Italy, Strategy Analytics' experience would suggest that low levels of promotion and low awareness of the services available among point of sale representatives may be barriers to service uptake.

Pamela De Luca, Advanced Wireless Laboratory Analyst at Strategy Analytics, noted, "Despite the fact that Mobile TV is one of the flagship services offered through Vodafone Live! UMTS, sales staff in two separate Vodafone retail outlets in central Milan told users that Vodafone did not offer a mobile TV service, either cellular or broadcast".

Paul Brown of Strategy Analytics added, "This is clearly worrying for a company that is trying to promote its mobile TV service to consumers. Staff in TIM stores were also generally unfamiliar with which Mobile TV services were available along with which device supporting each service."