Go Mobile launches TV on your mobile

Go Mobile has launched a streaming service, enabling customers to watch television on their mobile handset - the first mobile operator in Malta to launch such a service. The TV on your mobile service is powered by EDGE technology.

The announcement was made by Alan Zammit, Go Mobile senior executive IT; Martin Zammit, senior executive engineering; and Albert Gouder, executive marketing.

In the initial launch phase, four stations are available: BBC World, Fashiontv, Super 1 TV and Net TV. These channels can be accessed from EDGE-compatible phones by clicking on the TV icon on Go Mobile's Go Live! WAP site.

"Once the customers click on the desired TV station, they will be automatically streaming the station's feed onto their mobile phone," Alan Zammit said. "As a result, Go Mobile customers can watch their favourite programme, movie, reality show or news broadcast from anywhere in Malta and Gozo."

Other local and international television stations will be added to the channels line-up in future.

Mr Gouder explained that the streaming rate for TV on your mobile is of 10c per five minutes, per channel. The standard WAP browsing charge of 3c per 60 KB applies when accessing the Go Live! WAP site.

This service can also be accessed when abroad, given that the foreign mobile operator provides EDGE. Roaming charges will apply when streaming TV stations abroad.

Martin Zammit said the service is made possible thanks to EDGE, a technology which allows faster data download and upload speeds. It is estimated that the speeds of EDGE are approximately four to five times faster than GPRS.

"Currently, Go Mobile is the only mobile operator in Malta to offer EDGE and, hence, (it) is the operator that is offering the fastest, nationwide wireless data access on the island," Martin Zammit said.

To subscribe to TV on your mobile, Go Mobile customers should ensure that their phone supports the streaming service. To do so, customers should visit any Go Mobile Customer Contact Centre or call 146 from their Go Mobile (call is free).

New pre-paid tariff

Meanwhile, Go Mobile has launched a new pre-paid tariff - Ready to Go Talk, enabling customers to benefit from the lowest mobile call rate on the island - 8c per minute.

This rate applies all day, every day for local calls to other Go Mobile numbers. Ready to Go Talk customers also benefit from a call rate reduction when calling other local numbers. Calls to non-Go Mobile numbers cost 14c a minute.

With Ready to Go Talk, customers do not pay according to a peak or off-peak rate; the rate applies all day long, seven days a week. This tariff is targeted at customers who make a lot of calls, especially to other Go Mobile numbers. When subscribing to this tariff, customers get to benefit from considerable savings when making calls.

The SMS rate for Ready to Go Talk customers is 3c per message. Calls are charged on a per 30-second basis.

To subscribe to Ready to Go Talk, send an SMS with the word talk to 4400. For more information call Customer Care on 146 from your Go Mobile (call is free) or visit www.go.com.mt.

Go Mobile customers can top up their pre-paid account, as well as that of other persons, by dialling 7922-2123 from a fixed line. Subsequently, the system will ask for the number to be topped up and the voucher number.

This system, which has been offered since the first day Go Mobile launched its services in 2000, allows anyone to top up anyone's Go Mobile pre-paid account.