EMERYVILLE, Calif.—WiMAX gained another backer as MobiTV Inc. said it will support the wireless broadband technology.
The wireless video provider said it has been “investing heavily in research and technology development” for WiMAX, and committed to deploying multimedia services over networks using the technology. The move follows yesterday’s announcement by Sprint Nextel Corp. that the carrier will use WiMAX for its 4G network, which is slated to begin deployment late next year.
“WiMAX is one of the most promising new wireless technologies to emerge over the last several years,” said Phillip Alvelda, MobiTV’s chief executive officer. “We are working hard to integrate it with a broad range of emerging video and television technologies, both wired and wireless.”
Meanwhile, fellow mobile video provider ROK Entertainment Group made its entry into the United States official, promoting a service that allows users to access 13 television channels at $1 each per month. The U.K.-based outfit offers content from niche providers in a variety of genres including urban, alternative and international.
While ROK’s service has been available in the United States for several weeks, the company unveiled offices in Beverly Hills, Calif., and said it hopes to partner with both network operators and device manufacturers to expand its offerings.