Reality TV to your 3G handset - oh deep joy

Swedes will no longer be able to escape from Big Brother following an announcement from next-generation mobile operator 3 Sweden that it is to launch the reality TV show live over its UMTS network. 3 has never shirked from making bold decisions in its attempt to break into the global mobile arena. This latest initiative, which utilises the Popwire Live Engine LX high-end real-time encoder, allows for the delivery of premium live broadcasts, traffic surveillance and similar wireless live services, and signals perhaps the first inklings of a so-called ‘killer application’ that could stimulate widespread demand for 3G services. Using the Popwire Live Engine, 3 Sweden’s customers will be able to link their handsets to six different cameras located in the Big Brother house, prompting the head of content production at 3 Sweden, Johan Edlund, to say 3 was ‘very excited about being able to offer this world first and innovative service to its customers’.